In Our Hands
by Skyla-chan.99
Summary: What if DanganronpaV3 had both survivors from the 52nd season? With the 17th student being the other survivor of the 52nd season, little did the Danganronpa Team know that her presence would completely destroy their predetermined plot. "A game of lies and deception? With the master of lies on my side, all I can say is bring it on." AU [Eventual KokichixOC]
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Anddd, I'm back after a three-year hiatus as a writer with a new story lol.

Welcome to my first ever fanfiction in the Danganronpa fandom, a place where no one hates the game more than the fans themselves XD Anyways, this story will eventually become KokichixOC, but I plan to focus more on the actual game and mystery part than the romance. I am not going to follow the game completely *wink wink* so I hope that will be a pleasant change :) I hope you guys will enjoy the story!

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 **[Prologue]**

"...Why this is a pleasant surprise. Who would have thought we'd see you two again, especially not after what happened in the previous game," the low and harsh voice of a middle-aged man dressed in black echoed throughout the enclosed room, as he flipped through the documents in front of him in an absentminded manner.

"Believe me, we didn't expect things to turn out this way either," the young man who sat across him spoke up, eyes glaring holes at the man in black.

"Just shut up and accept our applications already," the young girl who accompanied the young man added with a flick of her hair, clearly irritated.

"And why on earth would we do that?" the man in black stood up from his seat, nonchalantly treading across the room to stare out the glass windows behind his desk. "Unfortunately, your characters have grown to become quite...boring, over the past year. The audience is looking for a new group of thrilling casts."

"I beg to differ," the young man argued. "What could be more thrilling than the return of two survivors from the previous game? You could title the show something along the lines of...yes...Danganronpa53: the Survivor's Revenge. Surely, that would spin quite the entertaining tale."

"Of course, we understand we're not entering the game with our memories intact," the girl added, eyes shining with determination. "But surely, with the brilliant minds in the Danganronpa Team, you could easily write a fascinating plot that would best the previous season."

"Hm...I still have trouble understanding your motives," the man in black spun around, looking at both of the teenagers in the eye. "For what reason have you returned? Surely, the amount of fame you both received must have been enough to last you a lifetime."

"We're not here to boost our fame," the girl spatted out, eyes looking at the man with disgust and pure hatred. "We're here to end this whole thing."

The man in black raised an eyebrow, intrigued at the girl's answer. "To end this whole thing? Surely, you don't mean our program."

"What else but the Danganronpa Team?" the young man stood up from his seat and pointed an accusing finger at the opposition. "Like I previously mentioned, we're here for revenge."

The man in black immediately let loose a sinister laugh. "Ah, the usual revenge motive? You guys must have learned well from the previous game," the man scoffed, words dripping with mockery and sarcasm.

"Look, old man," the girl abruptly stood up from her seat, grabbed the documents on the table and threw it at the man's face in a fury. "You have absolutely no legitimate reason to refuse us. Besides, you've always welcomed volunteers, isn't that right?"

Seeing that the two teenagers could not be convinced otherwise, the man in black sighed, conceding to the teenagers in front of him. He quickly gathered the documents that were scattered on the floor, organized them, and promptly signed his name on them. Then, he thrust the papers back towards the other two occupants in the room. The teenagers quietly grabbed the documents and scanned over the page.

"Fine. So be it. Go to the designated place at the chosen time, and you'll be able to meet the other fifteen participants," the man in black stated, waving a hand in the air to dismiss the two.

"Wait, fifteen other participants? Aren't there supposed to be only sixteen students in the game each round?" the young man questioned.

The man in black shrugged. "This time's an exception since we have two very willful volunteers."

"Who would have thought you'd be so flexible with the rules," the girl rolled her eyes as she briskly walked towards the exit. "Let's hope this is the last time I get to see your putrid face."

The girl then slammed the door shut behind her.

"...I guess I shall take my leave to as well," the young man sighed as he collected his belongings and made his way towards the exit.

"...You do know what you're signing up for, right, Mr. Rantaro?" the man in black asked ominously.

The young man named Rantaro turned around and looked at the man in the eyes. "I am aware of it and so is she. As the two survivors of the previous game, we're prepared to do whatever it takes to make the fifty-third game the last."

"...I see. Then I wish you the best of luck."

Then, Rantaro silently left the room, leaving the old man to ponder by himself. After a few moments of silence, the man reached for this phone and dialed a particular number, saved at the top of his contact list.

The familiar tune of the Danganronpa opening filled the air as the man waited for the other side to pick up.

 _*Beep*_

"What's up, sir?" another young girl's voice was heard on the other end of the line.

"Change of plans. You'll be entering the game as well," the older man ordered, much to the other girl's surprise.

"Really? I thought we already sent someone-"

"It matters not. We have some special guests from the last game participating again. As a precaution, we should have a backup plan in case things do go haywire."

"Always the cautious one, are we? Well, if you say so, sir. I'll be joining the new season as well."

After ending the call, the older man chuckled to himself as he walked back towards the large window behind his desk. Peering outside, he saw the two teenagers standing outside of the twenty-story building, looking up to his room. As their line of sight met, the older man smirked, muttering to himself.

" _Game on."_


	2. Chapter 1: Surprises

**A/N:** Welcome back to DanganronpaV3 AU version~ :) Just as a notice, updates will probably be weekly, since I have university to deal with. Reviews and criticisms are always welcomed. I hope you guys enjoy this one too!

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 **[Chapter 1: Surprises]**

They say that life is filled with surprises.

Well, whoever said that made a huge understatement.

Either that or they just didn't live long enough to see the crap that life can really throw your way. For example, they probably never got forcefully hauled into a black van filled with creepy hooded men before. They also probably never had to run a whole goddamn kilometer without rest before. And most certainly, they probably never got beat up till they fainted before.

Oh, and, not to mention, waking up in a locker in the middle of nowhere.

"What the hell is going on?" I muttered to myself as I kicked the locker door open with my foot, the hinges almost falling apart from the sudden impact.

Sliding myself out of the narrow space, I took a good look around the room. My eyes darted around in a frenzy as I stared at the rows of desks, the buzzing green screen in front, and the two other closed lockers inside the room. With a frown plastered on my face, I walked over to the windows and squinted my eyes, trying to look past all the red-barbed wires that covered the entirety of the glass panels.

 _...Nope, can't see a damn thing._

 _*rattle rattle*_

I yelped as I whirled around, trying to identify the source of the noise. My eyes landed on the locker opposite from the one I came out from. The door slowly opened with a creak, and a body stumbled out in an unorganized fashion. The person tripped over their own feet and face planted the ground with an 'oomph', groaning as they lied there on the ground.

I sweatdropped before I quietly made my way towards them. Peering down at the motionless body from above, I asked in a soft voice. "Uh...are you okay there?"

Their head immediately snapped up from the ground, and I took a step back in surprise at the sudden movement. A sheepish smile was plastered on their face as they let loose a small embarrassed laugh. Finally collecting themselves together, they stood up from the ground and brushed off the dirt with their hands before turning to me with a now pleasant smile.

"My apologies, that was not quite the first impression I wanted to make," he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Oh, uh, no worries. Just wondering if you were fine," I answered back, hoping to dismiss their worries and concerns.

"I'm fine. Sorry that you had to witness that unpleasant fall. Uh, if I may ask...where are we right now?" He asked as soon as he had the chance to glance around the room.

It was clear from his confused demeanor that he was as clueless as I was about the situation. My heart sank as I sighed while scratching my head. "If only I knew the answer to that question...your guess is as good as mine."

The pleasant smile on his face immediately disappeared. "Oh, well...that is quite unfortunate then," he frowned, voice dejected.

"Indeed," I agreed with a nod. "All I can see is that we are trapped in what seems to be a classroom of some sort."

He raised his eyebrows. "Trapped? Are we locked inside this room?"

"I think so, though I haven't checked whether the doors are locked yet," I started as I walked over to the classroom door and attempted to open it.

 _*click*_

.

.

.

.

.

"Uh, I guess maybe we're not locked in here after all...?" I spun around to face him, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly.

He chuckled as I felt the heat rushing up my face in embarrassment.

 _Note to self. Always check the door first whenever you wake up in an unknown place._

"Perhaps it would do you good to check the doors first next time. Shall we make our way out then?" he gestured towards the door with his hand, and I nodded in response.

"Sounds good to me, but can you tell me your name first? So I know what to call my comrade here," I asked as he blinked.

"Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Amami Rantaro," he replied with a smile. "And you are...?" he trailed off, waiting for me to pick up the conversation.

"The name's Aida Shirayuki," I answered as he nodded back. "By the way, I'm the Ultimate Figure Skater. What's your special talent?"

At my question, he grimaced and tousled the light green strands of his hair in a frustrated manner. "As much as I want to answer that, I simply can't remember anything about my talent."

"Huh?" I jolted back, not expecting his answer. "You...have amnesia?"

"I'm not quite sure..." Rantaro sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "It's not like I have a headache, but for some reason, I can't seem to remember by talent, no matter what."

"...You know, that sounds seriously fishy," I narrowed my eyes at him as I backed away towards the exit.

He sweat-dropped at my cautious actions. "Wait, I really am not a suspicious person," Rantaro held his hands out in front of him to proclaim his innocence. "I know I seem to be quite the dubious character, but please believe me when I say do not remember what my talent is."

"And how exactly am I supposed to believe you?" I took another step back towards the door. "For all I know, you could be the kidnapper."

"If I was the kidnapper, why would I be lying to you about my identity? Since I would have kidnapped you for a reason, I could just confess to you outright that I was the kidnapper," Rantaro reasoned, taking a daring step towards me, eyes pleading for me to believe him.

"Well that...does...sort of make sense," I lifted my hand and placed it on my chin, thoughtfully considering his logic. "If you were really the kidnapper, you would be wearing a mask or something to hide your identity."

"Exactly," Rantaro agreed.

"...Alright, for now, I'll believe you," I replied back after much consideration, though my shoulders were still tense. "But that doesn't mean I completely trust you, okay?" I pointed a finger at him.

"That's fine by me," Rantaro nodded. "Besides, there's also the slim chance that you're the one who kidnapped me, right?" I felt Rantaro's scrutinizing gaze on me.

"Fair enough," I motioned my head towards the door. "Now, it's up to you but we can stand here having this psychological battle forever or actually plan to get the hell out of here."

"Well, the choice is obvious, isn't it?" Rantaro stifled a laugh at my blunt choice of vocabulary, clearly amused.

Sensing that our introduction had come to an end, I slowly made my way out the classroom with Rantaro following after my steps. At first glance, it seemed like we were currently standing on the second floor of the building. Towards my left, I saw a bright neon pink colored staircase. There was another classroom aside the one I came out of. The opposite end of the hallway had another unknown room with intricate designs on the front door.

 _The fact that this place has a staircase means that it is a fairly large compound. Time to investigate...but before that..._

"Should we walk together or separate?" I posed Rantaro with a sudden question.

Rantaro hummed as he walked towards the staircase, peering down to the lower floor. Then, he turned back toward me. "I'd say separate to cover more distance. We don't know how long we've been here or, even worse, how long we have before something else happens. I hope you'll be fine on your own...?" Rantaro replied, trailing off at the end as if to judge my reaction to his words.

I gave him an understanding smile and nodded. "I'll be fine. Let's meet up somewhere later on to share our findings."

"Ah, wait," Rantaro suddenly interjected.

"Yes? What's wrong?" I asked, concerned at the way his eyebrows were scrunched up together as if he were deep in thought.

"My apologies if this ends up sounding very...weird," Rantaro slowly started, eyes scanning me from head to toe.

"I highly doubt you can be more suspicious than you appear now," I blankly retorted. "I mean, seriously, memory loss? That's a danger flag right there, or at least that's what my experience with games tell me."

Rantaro sweatdropped. "Please, give me a chance."

I watched in silence and patience as Rantaro opened his mouth, only to close it again. He repeated this process several times as if he were reluctant to bring up his point. He clenched his hands into fists before he finally spoke up, voice shivering due to a mixture of confusion and anxiety.

"Have we...met before?"

At his words, I froze. In my head, I knew immediately the answer to that question. Of course, I had never met him before. I had no recollection of meeting this man, that I was sure of. But despite my memories telling me so, every cell in my body told me that something was _very_ wrong with this situation. Even though the answer should have been clear, an empty and unknown feeling was lurking in the pit of my stomach.

Without warning, I felt a sudden wave of nausea.

Gasping, I clutched my head, leaning back towards the classroom door in an attempt to stabilize myself.

"A-Are you alright?" Rantaro was immediately by my side, hands lightly placed on my shoulders.

"I-I'm fine. Sorry, I was just feeling a little light-headed," I stammered out, pinching my forehead as I felt a rising headache. "It's nothing to worry about. I was just thinking too much about your question."

"Ah, I must apologize, then. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," Rantaro frowned as he offered a curt bow.

I immediately waved my hands in front of him in a frantic motion. "No, no. I wasn't offended at all. I was just surprised."

"Surprised?" Rantaro repeated as he watched me step away from the classroom door, eyes still wary for any signs of my worsening complexion.

"To answer your question, no I don't think we've met before," I mildly spoke up, brushing the dust off my back. "At least I have no recollection of it."

"I see," Rantaro quietly said, crossing his arms together on his chest as he glanced to the side, pondering. "But for some reason..."

"Let me guess. You're feeling a sense of Deja Vu?" I brought up, cutting his words off.

Rantaro snapped his head towards me, eyes wide with bewilderment. "Don't tell me, you too?"

"I guess," I rubbed the back of my head, flinching at the pain from the remnants of my headache. "I mean, even though I should be panicking like hell, I'm surprisingly taking this situation in fairly well."

Rantaro raised a dubious eyebrow at my proclamation. "You say fairly well, but you were stumbling in pain just now."

I winced at the truth behind his words. "Good point, but I mean that I'm feeling somewhat calmer than usual."

Rantaro only stared at me with disbelief in his eyes. He shook his head lightly and sighed. "Well...if you say so."

"Anyways, I think we should go search around now," I changed the topic, hoping that he would drop the subject regarding my sudden wave of illness. "We have no idea how much time we have left to roam around freely."

"Agreed. I shall see you later, then," Rantaro curtly nodded before he turned around and made his way down the staircase.

As soon as Rantaro's figure disappeared from the second floor, I sighed loudly and leaned back against the classroom door, crossing my arms.

 _If this is just a dream, then I sure hope I wake up soon_.

After I stood there moping in silence for a while, I decided to search through the rest of the classrooms first. There was a chance that Rantaro and I were not the only two victims of this bizarre situation. I made my way over to the classroom opposite of the one I was locked in.

As if confirming my suspicions, I heard noises coming from inside. Taking a deep breath, I slid open the door...

Only to come face to face with a giant crying robot looming over me.

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"HOLY SHI-" I clasped a hand over my mouth before I finished the profanity as the giant robot jumped back in shock from the volume of my scream.

"GAAAAH!" the robot screeched in surprise as he fell backward onto the floor with a loud, echoing thud. I winced as I watch his eyes turn to swirls, spinning as he mumbled incoherent words.

"Sorry about that, I didn't mean to surprise you," I immediately apologized and silently shut the door behind me. Before I could bend down and help him back up, someone else spoke up.

"Nishishishi, that was so lame Robo-kun~" a mischievous voice rung through the air that sent shivers down my spine.

I peered at the opposite corner of the room and spotted a young boy who was slightly shorter than me. He had dark purple unkempt hair that stuck out towards the side of his head. A white and black checkered scarf was tied around his neck as he stood there with a childish grin, eyes sparkling brightly as if stars were scattered inside of those large orbs. The white outfit that he was wearing gave him an angelic feel that contrasted with the impish qualities that he possessed. For a split second, his eyes met mine, and I immediately glanced away to the side.

Even though this was the first time we've met, my instincts told me that this boy was dangerous - that he could quite literally end up being the _death_ of me.

From the corners of my eyes, I saw his grin warp into a small smirk; his eyes narrowed as he dissected me with his eyesight. I gulped, fingers twitching in discomfiture as I looked at everything in the room but him.

"Wha- I told you to call me by name! It's Kiibo, okay?!" the humanoid-like robot suddenly snapped, immediately bringing me out of the daze I was in. He stood up from his spot on the floor and turned to me with an apologetic look on his face. "I guess I scared you too. Sorry!"

"O-Oh, uh, no worries," I stammered out and mentally slapped myself.

 _Keep your calm, Shirayuki. He literally only spoke one sentence, and you're already a huge mess._

"Of course she'd be freaked out! Anybody would be scared out of their wits if they had to come face to face with a giant robot like you," the purple haired boy spoke up with a teasing laugh as Kiibo immediately spun back towards him.

"What did you just say?! Stop being robophobic!" Kiibo lashed out at the purple haired boy and ran forward to grab him, only to miss when the purple haired boy simply stepped to the side.

The boy let loose his signature laugh as he slowly made his way over to me with a huge grin on his face. I froze as I watched him quickly run behind me. He grabbed my waist and stuck his head out from behind me. His eyes suddenly started to water, much to my dismay.

"W-why did you raise your voice at me? I was just stating the obvious...w...w...w-w...WAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the boy suddenly started bawling as crocodile tears flowed down rapidly. Completely baffled at the situation unraveling in front of my eyes, I panicked while Kiibo was struck dumbfounded. As I felt the back of my outfit grow damp with his tears, I quickly spun around to face him and awkwardly placed a hand on top of his head.

He promptly stopped crying and looked up at me in confusion. Not knowing how to deal with the situation, I just started to pat and rub his head in a caring manner. I watched as his expression turned blank for a split second before it returned to its original devilish grin.

"Wow, thanks for comforting me, mom!" he exclaimed as he suddenly hugged me.

I choked at his words and started sputtering nonsense in embarrassment. "W-what did you just call me? M-mom?! Are you kidding me- wait did you just stop crying that quickly?" I questioned as soon as I calmed myself down.

"Hm? Oh, those were fake so whatever," he bluntly confessed with a dismissal wave of his hands. I felt my jaws drop as I gaped at the boy in front of me. I stared blankly at the boy in a stupefied state.

He just blinked, ignoring how stunned I was, and smiled brightly as if nothing peculiar had just occurred. "Huh? Didn't you know they were fake? And here I thought you were just playing along with my whims. Aw, you're so kind to comfort a total stranger like me~" his tone was teasing as I started to feel another rising headache.

"W-Why would you do that?" I stuttered back, still in a daze as he just scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Because I'm me, that's why," the boy replied and flipped his hair.

 _Oh, you fucking little twat-_

"Just ignore him. He's been messing with me for the past hour now," Kiibo suddenly spoke up, voice filled with annoyance. He let loose a loud exasperated groan. "Even I, the Ultimate Robot could not handle him."

As if on cue, the boy's eyes filled to the brim with tears again. With a loud sniff, he cried out. "Y-you're so mean, you stupid robot!"

"SAYS YOU, YOU ROBOPHOBE-"

"WAHHHHHHHH-"

As I watched the two continue to bicker and "cry," I ground my teeth together in an attempt to prevent myself from lashing out in aggravation. I pinched the bridge of my nose in displeasure.

 _At this rate, he's going to become the death of me in less than a day._

"WAHHH- okay, that felt good. Any more than this and my ears will start bleeding," the boy suddenly stopped crying once again, a blank look plastered on his face. Kiibo's eyebrows twitched in obvious annoyance as he stepped forward, coming closer to the boy with a furious look on his face.

Realizing that I had not been able to gain clues for the past fifteen minutes because of the two in front of me, I immediately stepped myself between the two, preventing their argument from escalating any further.

"Ok guys, stop. Let's calm down first okay? I have some important questions I want to ask both of you, and I may be in a hurry," I spoke up with an irritated sigh. Kiibo gave me a sheepish bow as an apology for losing his cool.

The purple-haired boy immediately shot his hand up into the air, waving it around as if trying to catch my attention. I raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to speak up.

"Yeah, so I have an important question I want to ask too! Can I ask away?" the boy turned towards me with a pleading look in his eyes. I sighed and nodded despite knowing that he was probably faking the desperation in his eyes.

"Yay, okay so Kiibo, do robots have dicks?" his blunt question completely caught Kiibo and me off-guard as we both choked on air. I started blushing at the implications of the question and unconsciously turned to stare at Kiibo. Kiibo's eyes met mine, and he immediately started to sweat in dread.

"I-I...that is such an inappropriate question, Kokichi!" Kiibo replied, obviously flustered as the boy, who I now knew was named Kokichi, just continued to snicker.

"I was just curious~ so do they? Do they? DO THEY?!" he crept closer to Kiibo with a wide grin on his face, eyes twinkling, both hands in tight fists in front of him. I facepalmed at the situation and let loose another sigh as I watched in exasperation.

 _Will I ever get to investigate somewhere else...?_

"Guys, please stop," I repeated as things started to calm down once again.

"Ok, if mom says so," the boy chimed as I glared at him.

"I'm not your mom nor do I want to be your mom," I retorted back.

"Oh, so you want to be something else? Why not join my group then?" he proposed as I stared blankly at him.

"Uh, what?" I cocked my head to the side in inquiry.

"Oh, we haven't introduced each other yet, right? I'm Ouma and Kokichi is my first name. I'm the Ultimate Supreme Leader~!" Kokichi exclaimed as he made a thumbs-up sign with his left hand.

"...What is that title supposed to mean?" I questioned immediately after his introduction.

"Huh? Can't you even understand something this simple? I take my invitation back then. I don't need an imbecile in the team," he changed his stance almost immediately and started pouting.

My eyes twitched at his rude remarks, but I collected myself before I lashed out, knowing that I would only be playing right into his hands if I gave him a satisfying reaction. "Unfortunately, I'm not a mind reader. I'm Aida Shirayuki, the Ultimate Figure Skater."

He perked up at my response. "Figure skater...? Wow, that really fits your name and outfit. Shirayuki means white snow in Japanese, right? And you have those snowflakes on your sweater too."

At his remark, I took the chance to skim over my outfit. I was wearing a light, baby-blue knitted sweater with small snowflakes scattered throughout. To match it was a ruffling black skirt that was slightly above my knee. My sneakers were the same color as my sweater, but with icicle designs on the side. Part of my black colored hair was tied in a side braid with a snowflake clip to keep it in shape. The rest hung loosely down my shoulders. My hair only reached the middle of my back. The whole outfit seemed to compliment my deep blue eyes very well.

"Uh, I guess, thanks...?" I mumbled out awkwardly, not quite sure how to respond to his words.

"No problem~ Anyways I'll tell you all about the organization later. Let's get out of here!" Kokichi changed the topic and slowly made his way out the door.

"Wha— did you just completely ignore me even though I kept you company for who knows how long?!" Kiibo, obviously offended, yelled at Kokichi who only brushed him off.

"Shiro-chan, let's go!" Kokichi ignored Kiibo completely, grabbed my wrists and yanked me out the doorway.

I yelped at the sudden movement and almost tripped over my own feet as I wobbled out the door, much to Kokichi's amusement. "Shiro-chan, for an athlete you really don't walk properly."

"That's because you pulled me out of nowhere and what's with that dumb nickname?" I replied with an annoyed look plastered on my face.

"Hm? Oh, Shiro means white in Japanese, and it's shorter, so I just used it. Why, you don't like it?" He let my wrists go and looked up at me with an innocent gleam to his expression.

"It's not that I don't like it, but it sounds weird," I answered his question honestly.

"Really? I think it's adorable," his words made me flush for a split second. "It kind of sounds like a pet name."

 _...I'm going to kill him someday._

"Right, whatever. So where are we going?" I asked, feeling another headache creeping up.

"Nowhere! I just wanted to have a private talk with you," Kokichi beamed as I facepalmed.

"Seriously? Don't you want to understand your situation more? You've been locked up here for no reason too, right?" I questioned as he shrugged.

"Yeah, but I'm just going to enjoy every moment of it," his nonchalant innocent attitude to this horrifying situation only made me gape in disbelief.

"But don't you want to leave this place and go back home?" I asked out of curiosity.

His expression immediately turned blank as he tilted his head to the side, an unreadable emotion swirling in his eyes. "Where's that?"

I froze and stared at Kokichi. A moment of silence swept through us. Although no one was moving or speaking, the air permeating around us was somewhat tense. The question was innocent, but the hidden implication behind it made something inside me ache.

"...Are you serious?" I spoke out, partially in disbelief.

He didn't reply for a full minute before a small smile graced his features. "Just kidding. I was messing with you."

"...Alright," I replied, skepticism leaking through my sullen tone. As if he knew I didn't believe him, his smile only grew wider.

"Nishishi, someone's being a little too overly cautious. Be careful. If you stress out too much you'll go bald before you reach fifty," Kokichi chimed, smirking.

My eyebrow twitched. "Why, thank you for the _kind_ warning."

"I appreciate the sarcasm, Shiro-chan. No one ever talks back to me like that," Kokichi's eyes narrowed, a lop-sided grin on his face. It was clear that there was amusement swirling in his eyes. "Everyone who spoke back to me like that is either missing or dead, after all."

My shoulders tensed up and I took a small step back. "Is that a threat, I'm hearing?" I pressed my lips tightly together, waiting impatiently for his answer.

"Nishishi, well it was just a lie though," Kokichi laughed nonchalantly as if he had done nothing wrong. "You know, since you're here and all, can I ask you something?"

"I don't think robots have dicks," I replied almost instantly, a blank look on my face.

"Aw, really? What a shame," Kokichi ignored the obvious sarcasm in my words this time and shrugged. "But that wasn't what I wanted to ask you about. Thanks for the input, though!"

"Spit it out already, Kokichi," I felt him pressing the tips of my patience. "I don't have all the time in the world to spend with you."

Kokichi pouted, a frown on his face. "Alright, alright. Geez, talk about being so uncooperative."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't think anyone would be so cooperative with a complete stranger."

Kokichi hummed lightly, musing my words. "Fair point. Well, I was just wondering about something," Kokichi faced away from me and walked dramatically towards the center of the second floor, spreading his arms out wide. "What do you think is the opposite of boredom?"

I tilted my head to the side, my eyebrows furrowing. "Excuse me? Where did that come from?" I asked, completely confused with how our conversation was headed.

"Just humor with an answer, Shiro-chan," Kokichi waggled his index finger.

I eyed him skeptically from my spot next to the wall. "Okay...I guess...pleasure? Or like stimulation?"

Kokichi spun around to face me again, a satisfied look on his face. "Bingo! Stimulation works just fine, but I was thinking of excitement."

"Sure, but where on earth are you going with this?" I frowned.

"Someone I know once told me this," Kokichi started. "People will seek out any kind of excitement. Even _pain_."

"And that has exactly what to do with our situation?" I questioned.

"Wouldn't it be funny if some people just decided to kidnap us for the thrill of it?" Kokichi suddenly exclaimed, laughing out loud.

"...What?!" I shouted out, shaking my head lightly in disbelief as I took another step back away from him.

 _What the hell is this bastard talking about?!_

"Aw, don't be scared, Shiro-chan. I was just thinking to myself," Kokichi grinned as he twirled around in a circle before running over to the staircase. "Anyways, I'm just going to enjoy this situation as much as I can."

"Enjoy?" I sputtered out, staring at Kokichi with shock.

"Yep! Besides..." Kokichi trailed off, a sly smirk making its way onto his face. He placed an index finger on his chin, eyes narrowing as he spoke out in a sultry voice. "I hate boredom more than anything, so a _little_ pain won't hurt."

And then he left.

I stood there still, mind whirling with confusion. My headache grew worse, and I groaned, clasping a hand over my face in exasperation.

Life is filled with surprises.

And meeting Kokichi may be the worst one yet.


	3. Chapter 2: It’s a Game

**A/N:** A little early, because this is kind of a filler chapter sorry lol Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews! I also fixed the random spelling and grammatical mistakes I made in the last chapter, oops!!

* * *

 **[Chapter 2: It's a Game]**

After separating with Kokichi, I searched through the entire second floor. The other classrooms had no inhabitants and one door with a music design wouldn't open no matter how much I tried. Making my way towards the staircase, I raised an eyebrow as I spotted a girl my age with long blue hair, walking back and forth in front of a dragon statue.

"Uh, hello?" I spoke up, hoping to catch her attention, only to no avail. I blinked as she continued to ignore me, mumbling to herself words that I could not hear. I sighed and spoke louder, cupping my hands around my mouth. "UH, HELLO? ANYONE HOME?"

That seemed to do the trick as she snapped out of her daze and turned to face me. "O-Oh, I'm sorry. I was in a deep trance so I wasn't paying attention," she softly replied, fiddling with her fingers anxiously.

"No, that's fine. Sorry for interrupting your thoughts. Who may you be?" I asked.

"I'm Shirogane Tsumugi, the Ultimate Cosplayer," she answered with an elegant smile on her face.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Aida Shirayuki, the Ultimate Figure Skater," I introduced myself to her.

"Oh wow, a real-life figure skater! Can you please give me pointers on how to make a skating costume? There's this anime about ice skating and I want to cosplay as one of the characters," she explained enthusiastically as I sweatdropped.

"Uh, yeah sure, although I don't know how much I can help you," I replied, taking a step back from her overwhelming outburst of energy.

She shook her head. "Oh no, it's fine. All the help is welcomed. You see, making costumes is not only a hobby of mine but more like who I am as a person. When I wear the costumes I make, I become a new person and-"

I watched as she continued on and on about her interests. I politely listened, although half the entire conversation flew pass my head. Seeing that she was not going to stop any time soon, I cut off her speech. "Uh, sorry. I think I have to go somewhere else now. It was nice meeting you though."

"Oh, alright, bye," she curtly nodded and immediately went back to being silent as she drifted off into her thoughts. It was as if she hadn't been giving a passionate speech for the past five minutes.

I sweatdropped and slowly made my way down the staircase.

 _Is it just me or is everyone just so eccentric around here…?_

As I reached the bottom of the staircase, I met a pair of students running towards me. I raised an eyebrow as they came to a halt in front of me. One of them was wearing a pink vest as she placed her hands on her knees, panting for air. The other was a boy who was wearing a large hat that cast a huge shadow on his face.

"S-Sorry about the sudden intrusion," the girl said between taking gasps of air. "My name's Akamatsu Kaede and I'm the Ultimate Pianist. This boy here is called Saihara Shuichi and he's the Ultimate Detective."

The boy nodded and I mirrored his actions. I introduced myself to them as they smiled courteously back.

"Would you like to walk around the building together? It seems we're all in the same situation here," Kaede offered.

I shook my head. "Nah, it's fine. I think if we all separate, we'll cover more space in less time. Thanks for the kind offer though."

"Oh, no worries. You seem to be very...normal compared to everyone else," she stated as I frowned, confused by her sudden comment.

"Normal? What do you mean?" I asked as she started to panic.

"O-Oh no I didn't mean to sound condescending. I meant that everyone else has some very interesting perks that I just can't get myself used to," she explained.

I sweatdropped again, immediately agreeing with her statement.

"Right, I can definitely see that," I answered before I waved them goodbye.

As they disappeared down the hallway, I took a left turn. To my right was a blue door and to my left was a large brown entrance into what seemed to be the dining hall. I decided to enter the blue door, since it was my favorite color.

Entering the place, I realized that the room looked somewhat like a warehouse. There were piles and piles of cardboard boxes organized throughout the entire room, both on the shelves and on the floor. I spotted a girl in a pink attire in the corner, rummaging through the boxes on the left side of the room. Walking closer towards her, I saw that she was looking through what appeared to be a bunch of chemical flasks. I poked her in the shoulder to catch her attention, only for her to lash back at me.

"Who the hell are you touching with your dirty hand, you fucking bitch?!" she screamed into my face as I winced and stepped back in surprise. I had my hands hanging in mid-air in front of me, showing that I didn't mean any harm.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt you. I just thought I wanted to introduce myself…" I meekly spoke, afraid that she would be offended further.

"Huh? Why should I introduce myself to a dumb whore like you? But I guess that makes sense. Everyone wants to get to know the one and only legendary Ultimate Inventor Iruma Miu, the most beautiful and hot-in-demand woman on the planet!" she started to cackle as she spoke, spraying spit all over the area.

I grimaced as I stared at the filth standing in front of me. "Right okay, bye. Seems like I'm not needed around here." I quickly introduced myself and spun on my heels, facing right towards the exit. Although I heard her wailing something similar to 'don't leave me', I didn't turn back and ran right out the door, slamming it shut with a loud thud.

I sighed and massaged my forehead.

 _Second note to self: Consider changing your favorite color to anything but blue._

I made my way next to the large brown door. I pushed it open and entered the dining hall. Two girls were standing inside. Walking over to the one on the left, I spoke to her.

"Um, hello. I'm Aida Shirayuki, the Ultimate Figure Skater. Who may you be?" I politely asked.

She spun towards me with a large grin on her face as she placed her two hands in front of her in a fighting stance. "HEEYAH! I am Chabashira Tenko, the Ultimate Aikido Master! And now that we have introduced ourselves, we shall battle!"

"Wait, what?!" I yelped as she attempted to land a kick on me. I duck and scrambled across the dining hall's floor, crawling over to the other girl in the room.

"Nyeh, I see you have fallen to your knees in front of my amazing magic," the red-haired girl spoke up as I looked up at her.

"Uh, what did you just say?" I asked for her to repeat her statement.

"I am Himiko Yumeno, the Ultimate Mage," she replied. "Now get away from me before I use my magic to turn you into a toad."

... _Maybe I've been locked in a mental asylum._

Before I could even introduce myself, I spotted another kick coming towards my way. I yelped and immediately stood up on my feet, sprinting as fast as my legs could carry me out the door. I ran down the hallway without even turning back to see if she was following me, making my way through the gates until I reached the other side of the first floor. I took a moment to catch my breath, my left hand against the wall, before I made my way down to the basement.

The door to my left had a sign that said 'Game Room'.

 _Game Room? Now that sounds like a room I want to enter!_

Without hesitating, I opened the door and entered inside. The interior of the room was dark red with many retro games placed throughout. There was a short tiny boy standing in the center of the room. Noticing my presence, he stared at me. "And who might you be?"

"Oh, I'm Aida Shirayuki, the Ultimate Figure Skater. And you?" I repeated the same introduction for the umpteeenth time that day.

"Hoshi Ryoma, the Ultimate Tennis Pro...or at least that's what I used to be. That person no longer exists," Hoshi introduced himself in a mysterious manner, tilting his hat down to cover part of his eyes. A wry smile was plastered on his face. "As fellow athletes, let's not ask questions about our careers."

"Uh, sure, no problem. Thanks for the introduction," I replied as he gave a brief nod, then turned around to stare at the other end of the room, signaling the end of the conversation.

I made my way out the door and walked towards the opposite end of the hallway. I looked up at the sign on top of the door. Realizing that this was a library, I slid open the door. The entire library was filled to the brim with books. The rustic smell of the old books caught me by surprise.

 _If the books are this old, then this building must have existed for a pretty long time, huh?_

A young girl stood in the center of the room, her dark ruby-red eyes glaring at me. I flinched but walked over towards her nevertheless. "I can see you don't want me here, but at least let's introduce ourselves. I'm Aida Shirayuki, the Ultimate Figure Skater. You?"

"...Harukawa Maki. Ultimate Child Caregiver," she replied.

"...Okay. See you around then," I quietly answered back before I immediately left the room.

 _Child caregiver? Yeah, what baloney. If I had a child, she'd be the last person on the planet that I'd leave them with._

Realizing how true Kaede's previous statement was about the eccentricity level of the students here, I could only stagger up the staircase, feeling more exhausted than I had wanted to.

"Kekeke, are you alright, young lady?" a creepy voice echoed from the top of the staircase as I snapped my attention towards the new figure, who was looming over me from a few steps above.

"H-huh? Oh, I'm fine. No problem. Just a little tired from walking all over the place," I assured him as I watched him close his eyes, hugging himself tightly in bliss.

"Ah, humans are so frail and beautiful. Even if they are tired, their souls cannot rest in peace until they have found out every detail about the world. Such endless thirst for knowledge is what defines us all," he started a speech that made me want to hurl myself off the staircase.

"R-Right, I'll just slide over and make my way out now," I slowly pushed my way past him and walked with rapid steps away from the man who was severely creeping me out.

"Oh my, in a hurry? Where to?" I looked back and realized that he was jogging after me. My face paled and I came to a halt, feet frozen and body stiff in horror and fear. "I haven't even introduced myself yet. My name is Shinguji Korekiyo and I am the Ultimate Anthropologist."

"Right, uh, I'm Aida Shirayuki, the Ultimate Figure Skater. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm going to hurry off now. Goodbye!" I quickly finished my introduction and took off, exiting the building from the front gates without waiting for his reply.

 _Shitshitshit what a creep-_

As I ran out into what appeared to be the courtyard, I slammed myself into someone's back. I yelped and almost fell down onto the ground in an unorganized fashion. Thankfully, the person I ran into grabbed me by the arm almost immediately, steadying me. "Woah there, slow down. What's up?"

"Nothing, I was just running away from someone. Erm, and you are…?" I trailed off, suggesting him to introduce himself.

He cleared his throat with a loud 'ahem' and proceeded to introduce himself, eyes beaming with pride. "I am the luminary of the stars, Momota Kaito, the Ultimate Astronaut! Isn't that cool?!"

I sweatdropped as he praised his own talent. "Uh, sure. I've never been to space before."

"Yeah me neither, but I'll be up there soon enough. Hahaha!" he laughed cheerfully to himself, pumping his fist up. "See you around!"

I waved goodbye as he slowly disappeared behind the building, probably to explore on his own. At that moment, I looked up and realized that a large cage enclosed the entirety of the area, blocking it off from outside contact. I paled as I realized that our situation may be more dire than we had originally thought.

 _We have no time to be wasting introducing ourselves...I better find Rantaro again so we can compare our findings._

Making my way down the stairs in the courtyard, I spotted another man with a large figure, standing in front of a building that looked like a colossal birdcage. From a distance, he looked intimidating, with the massive amount of muscles that he possessed. I gulped as I prayed to the gods above that he wouldn't end up being the Ultimate Criminal or something along those lines. I stood in front of him and gave a weak smile.

"Uh hey. Who are you?" I timidly started.

To my surprise, his stoic expression instantly warped into a large bubbly grin. "Oh thank you for talking to Gonta! I'm Gokuhara Gonta! Gonta's talent is the Ultimate Entomologist! Gonta loves bugs!"

"Oh, bugs, okay," I hid a grimace. "That seems like a pleasant talent to have."

At my words, he started beaming. "Gonta is happy, but Gonta see no bugs here. Lots of plants, no bugs."

"Maybe they'll come out at nighttime," I responded as he nodded cheerfully.

"Gonta understand. Gonta not smart so Gonta always bullied, but Gonta is fine because Gonta is gentleman," he spoke with a small pout on his face.

I found his broken grammar extremely endearing and couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "I can see that. It's a pleasure to meet you, Gonta! I'm Aida Shirayuki, the Ultimate Figure Skater. I'll see you around later."

He waved me goodbye as I entered the bird-cage building. Inside, there was a large fountain in the center with lots of bushes and flowers scattered around. The place seemed to be a greenhouse of some sort. A young girl was twirling around in the middle of the greenhouse. "Hm? Oh, I haven't seen you before yet~ I am Yonaga Angie, the Ultimate Artist!"

I introduced myself for the last time that day as she nodded enthusiastically. "Ah, I want to paint you skating one day! Atua has sent me inspiration."

At her peculiar words, I raised an eyebrow. "Atua? May I ask who that is?"

"Oh, it's the god of Angie's island! He speaks to me with his divine voice…" Angie suddenly stood on one leg, balancing herself with her arms wrapped around her head.

I sweatdropped. "Uh, okay. You're pretty devout, aren't you?"

"Nyahaha, Angie simply listens to Atua! You should too and everything will be fine," Angie chimed as she spun around in a full circle. "Besides, if you don't...you may be chosen as the next sacrifice~"

"Erm, okay. I'll be on my way now," I trailed off as I backed away and turned around to exit the building. Closing the door behind me, I leaned against it and sighed the loudest I had that day.

 _As cheerful as she seems, she sounds like a lunatic sometimes..._

Believing that I had met everyone who was kidnapped like me, I headed back towards the main building. Towards my left, I spot a building that I had not explored yet. As I entered, I realized that there were rooms with our icons on them. On the staircase was a young woman who was dressed up in an outfit that looked like a maid's costume.

"I don't believe I've met you yet," I spoke up as her attention turned to me.

"Ah yes, I'm Tojo Kirumi, the Ultimate Maid," she replied with a deep bow, making me extremely flustered.

"Oh, uh, no need to be so formal. I'm not your master or anything," I sheepishly stated, giving her a small courteous bow myself.

She shook her head and smiled at me with her eyes still closed. "Regardless, I am always here at your service."

"Uh, alright then. Thanks a lot," I said with another bow, then headed out of the dorms, walking inside the main building once more.

 _Right, I think it's time to find Rantaro..._

Ding Dong Bing Bong*

 _...or maybe not._

My eyes turned to the monitor that was hanging from the ceiling in front of the gates. A video feed popped up and I stared at the screen, gaping, as I saw five colorful teddy bears sitting on a large couch. I was dumbfounded as I watched the bears talk to each other.

 _A teddy bear? SPEAKING? Okay, this is definitely a mental asylum and I've gone completely bonkers._

"Kept you bastards waiting, huh?!" I suddenly snapped out of my trance as I listened carefully to the bears' words.

"Everyone, make your way to the gym please!" the red bear, who was apparently named Monotaro, spoke up as he took a sip out of the glass of green-colored juice that he was holding.

"The opening ceremony can finally begin!" the blue bear spoke up in a louder voice.

"So long! Bear-well!" the screen shut down as soon as their speech was done.

I simply stared at the dark screen.

This situation was far beyond bizarre. Everything about this set-up just seemed too ridiculous to be a kidnapping plan. Gathering seventeen Ultimate students and trapping them in an enclosed space that was as large as this wasn't something that could have been done on a whim. This had to be the work of someone who held a position of authority - someone who could enact this elaborate plan and come out unscathed.

I shook my head, ruffling the black strands of my hair in frustration and anxiety.

 _No, there's no use in worrying about it now. I should head over to the gym first._

* * *

Although I had trouble finding the gym, I eventually made it there after ten minutes. I opened the door with a creak and glanced around the room. All sixteen students that I had previously met were waiting inside.

 _Oops. I'm the last one._

"How dare you keep us waiting for so long! Were you doing some dirty shit in the toilet?!" Miu screamed as she pointed an accusing finger at me.

"Calm down, she probably just got lost. This place is frickin' huge after all," Kaito exclaimed with a large and vibrant grin on his face.

"Yeah, no one wants to hear you talk you pig," Kokichi bluntly stated as Miu immediately gasped and hugged herself, sweat pouring down her entire body.

"H-Huh? P-Pig? Oh god...that's so hot," she suddenly started to mutter, a look filled with pleasure appearing on her face.

I stared at her with disdain. "Wait, are you a masochist?" I accidentally blurted out without thinking.

"WHAT?! O-Of course not, y-you evil slut!" she screeched as I immediately sighed in resignation.

 _Even Jesus can't help this girl…_

"Just ignore that monster, Shiro-chan!" Kokichi spoke up, skipping over towards me. He had the same old carefree smile hanging on his lips. "Let's go have a private talk at the other end of the gym!"

"I highly doubt this is the time to be having a nice conversation," I started. "This situation seems to be more dangerous than it appears."

Kokichi frowned, his head drooping as he stared at the floor, pouting. "Aw, you're so boring. I hate boring people."

I resisted the urge to punch the lights out of him. Rolling my eyes in annoyance, I replied to his taunts. "Great, maybe you can find somebody else to bother, then."

"Wait, Gonta hear sound," Gonta's words made me turn my attention towards him.

"What?" Hoshi muttered as everyone immediately tuned into the conversation.

"Ah, I think I hear something. It sounds like an engine from a robot anime," Tsumugi elaborated.

As soon as the words left her lips, five huge machines came stomping into the gym floor, surrounding us immediately. Some of the students screamed in terror as they started to panic. I backed away from the blue tinted robot in front of me and accidentally bumped into someone who was standing behind me.

"Ouch! My foot!" I heard Kokichi grunt in pain from behind me. I turned around and muttered a quick apology as he glared at me with tear-filled eyes.

 _Probably fake again…_

"Rise and shine, ursine!" all the robots chanted in unison. My ears perked up as I recognized the voices from the monitor feed earlier.

"Somebody, please tell me the teddy bears are not the ones controlling these machines," I spoke out loud, not expecting anyone to hear me in the midst of the pandemonium and chaos.

"Nishishi, this is getting more and more interesting~" Kokichi's voice chimed in as I sweatdropped.

"Seriously, how can you be having fun in a situation as dire as this?!" my voice cracked halfway through the sentence due to the anxiety and fear that was rising up within me.

"It'll be fine, Shiro-chan! Here, I'll protect you," Kokichi exclaimed as he forcefully dragged me behind him by yanking my arms once again.

Without much thought, I clung onto his shoulders for dear life. "Even if you're probably lying, I'll gladly take you up on that offer," I hollered out as I heard the screams around us slowly die down.

"They're Exisals - highly mobile, bipedal weapons platforms!" Monokid explained as the blue robot took a large step forward, much to Miu's dismay.

"Whatever, just kill these uggos before you kill me!" Miu yelled out as she collapsed onto her knees, hugging herself.

"Calm down, guys," Amami's calm and collected voice broke us out of our panicked state. "No need to panic. We're probably not in any danger. If they wanted to kill us, they'd probably have done it by now."

Although Rantaro's explanation was extremely logical, it was hard for me to believe that someone could remain so unfazed in such an alarming and peculiar circumstance. He casually walked up to the Exisals with no sign of fear. "So, what do you want from us? You clearly want something. That's what the guns are for, right?"

"Oh, you smart motherf*cker," Monosuke complimented.

"I'll start us off! Now listen up, you punkasses! We want you guys to-" Monokid started, only to be interrupted by Monodam.

"It's a K-I-L-L-I-N-G G-A-M-E," Monodam's monotonic voice echoed throughout the room. Despite the lack of emotion in his voice, the words he spoke held a terrifying meaning.

"...What?" Kaede's voice trembled as her knees started to buckle at the implications of the statement.

"Did you just say…" Kiibo trailed off as he shook his head in disbelief.

"I said it's a KILLING GAME," Monodam restated.

"Oh goddammit, he said it again! Stop stealing the spotlight," Monotaro exclaimed.

"Now now...my cute little cubs," an eery high-pitched voice cut through the bears' argument. "You gotta knock off this awful fighting."

Without warning, all the lights in the gym shut off. I flinched, my hands squeezing Kokichi's shoulders tighter as I shut my eyes tight.

Kokichi let out a grunt in pain at the sudden increase in pressure on his shoulders and shot me a glare in the darkness.

A golden ray of light came shining from above the stage as a white and black colored bear with wings suddenly floated down. Its wings fell off with a quiet thud as it seated itself comfortably upon the podium.

"I am the god of this new world… and the headmaster of the Ultimate Academy! The one and only...MONOKUMA. Nice to meet you guys." The bear's voice rung through the air as it started to cackle in a loud and obnoxious manner.

At that moment, watching the insanity unraveling in front of me, there was nothing I could do but fall deep into...

Despair.


	4. Chapter 3: The Road of Despair

**A/N:** Hey there folks! Thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows. I really do appreciate it :)

As of now, the story is currently on track with the original game. Of course, the story will be taking off away from the original plot around chapter 8, so bear with me for a while! Without further ado, I present you with chapter 3.

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 **[Chapter 3: The Road of Despair]**

"W-What is this? What's going on?" Kaede stuttered as she asked the question that was ringing inside everyone's mind.

"I can see the madness and despair swirling around that cursed thing," Korekiyo analyzed as he stared in awe at the specimen standing in front of him.

"First of all, I'm not a teddy bear. I'm Monokuma, the headmaster of the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles! Show me some respect," Monokuma's face flared red with anger as he pouted.

"Hn, autonomous robots piloting weapons platforms...this is turning out to be quite the story," Ryoma quietly muttered to himself.

"That may be true, but my concerns lie elsewhere. What do you mean by killing game?" Rantaro snapped out of confusion and confronted Monokuma, who only snickered in response.

"Basically, I want you students with your Ultimate level talents to participate in a killing game!" Monokuma barked in a loud and obnoxious voice.

Kaede almost fainted as she heard Monokuma's words. She stumbled backward as she felt her legs wobble. "K-Killing game? Us?"

"Please stop joking around! Why would we ever agree to a killing game?!" Kiibo protested.

"Hm?" Monokuma tilted his head to the side in confusion. "The academy is surrounded by a huge wall. You can't escape to the outside world, as long as we have the exisals. There's no way for you guys to defy us. In other words, I hold the power of life or death over all of you!"

"So basically do as you say if we don't want to die?" Rantaro questioned in a calm manner as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You've got to be kidding me! Why would us friends kill each other?!" Tenko protested out loud, pointing an accusing finger at Monokuma, who simply snickered in amusement.

"Friends? Who said that? You guys are enemies out there to kill each other!" Monokuma announced.

As soon as the words left Monokuma's mouth, everyone took a step away from each other. Their eyes frantically moved around the gym, eyeing everyone else's movements. There was no doubt that everyone was thinking the same thing: that we were enemies meant to kill each other to survive.

"Here at the Ultimate Academy, the killing game is quite a refreshing and sophisticated experience," Monokuma started to explain. "The killing game is punctuated by class trials."

"We'll take over, daddy!" Monotaro suddenly jumped onto the stands and turned around with his arms raised in a dramatic manner. "Listen up, you maggots! If you maggots kill someone, then a class trial occurs."

"Then, you punk-ass bitches argue over who you fuckin' think is the blackened!" Monokid added. "After that, it's voting time. If the majority of you punks vote correctly, then you get to live to see another morning!"

"Only the blackened will get punished in this case," Monophanie interrupted.

"But if you idiots voted for the wrong person at the end of the trial, then all of you get punished, while the blackened gets off scot-free!" Monotaro jumped back in.

"The point is, it's not enough to kill someone. You have to survive the class trial as well!" Monokuma chimed in.

"So we have to kill to survive? Sounds eerily like the real world to me…" Rantaro said with a small shake of his head.

"Wait a minute," I spoke up from behind Kokichi's back. "By punishment, could it be that you mean…" I trailed off, not wishing to complete my train of thought.

"Upupupu," Monokuma started to laugh at my words. "It seems someone has caught on. Of course, punishment means an execution! If you commit a crime, you receive the rightful punishment. That's a basic rule of society~"

Then, Monokuma's laugh turned into a cackle as he spread his arms wide in a dramatic fashion. "Now, let the heart-pounding killing school semester begin!"

"Killing school semester...that sounds like a game," Rantaro's words sent a chill down everyone's spines.

 _Game? What kind of stupid game risks people's lives like this?!_

"Kehehehe, risking our lives for some silly game is absurd," Korekiyo logically reasoned.

"But it doesn't seem like it'll be boring though…" Kokichi whispered to himself as a lopsided smirk made its way onto his face.

"Are you serious, Kokichi?" I gaped, spinning him around to face me.

He only chuckled in response as he placed his arms behind his head in a playful manner. "I'm always serious, Shiro-chan~"

 _Serious my ass…_

"T-This has to be a l-lie right?" Tsumugi's voice shook rapidly as the severity of our situation finally sank in.

Monokuma and the other bears only let loose a sinister laugh before they disappeared behind the curtains of the gym. As soon as they disappeared, numerous alarms started to ring throughout the gym. I blinked before I reached towards the pocket inside my skirt. I pulled out what seemed to be a touch-screen device called the Monopad.

Staring at the screen, I swiped my fingers and checked all the school regulations listed inside of them. After skimming through all of them, my grip on the Monipad tightened.

"These rules…" I grumbled to myself as I quietly seethed in anger. "What kind of twisted game is this?"

"It seems fun though!" Kokichi popped up from behind me as I yelped in surprise. I turned my head around to glare at him.

"Would you stop appearing out of nowhere like this? You're going to give me a heart attack someday," I snapped as he only snickered.

"A heart attack? What kind of heart attack?! Like the 'doki doki' thing I've always seen in manga or anime?" Kokichi's eyes turned to stars again as I sighed and raised my hands into the air in exasperation.

"Okay, that's it. I give up on you. Go bug someone else," I cut him off.

As if on cue, he started to tear up, lips wobbling.

"B-but I only wanted to talk to you…" he whimpered as he looked up at me with eyes filled to the brim with tears. "Do you hate me that much?"

My eyes twitched in annoyance as I slammed my palm into his face, pushing him away from me. "I know those tears are fake, you little twerp. Don't try to guilt trip me."

He then swatted my hand away from his face and clicked his tongue, looking off to the side. "Tch, so you figured me out. Oh, how well you've come to know me in only a few minutes of conversing, Shiro-chan."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Probably too much for my liking."

"But I want to learn more about Shiro-chan!" Kokichi whined, looking up at me with watery eyes.

"I'm not telling you a single thing about me," I replied as he started to wail fake crocodile tears once again.

"WAHHHHH, YOU'RE SO MEAN!" Kokichi's cries echoed throughout the gym as everyone suddenly turned their attention to me.

As they watched the commotion that Kokichi was making, I started to panic. I sweatdropped and started waving my hands frantically in front of me. "W-wait, this is not what it looks like. I didn't do anything to him, he just-"

"Was acting like the brat he is?" Hoshi backed me up and I nodded furiously in agreement with his words.

"Yeah, that," I said as Kokichi suddenly stopped crying.

"Wow, that felt really refreshing!" Kokichi's grin returned onto his features and he started to spin around in circles. Everyone only sighed or shook their heads in exasperation. My line of sight met Rantaro and I saw that he was looking towards Kokichi and me with amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Uh, guys? Why don't we work together and try to find an exit?" Kaede suggested, turning everyone's attention towards her immediately.

"But we already looked all over and we couldn't find a single exit…" Tsumugi frowned, crestfallen.

"Then how exactly did we get inside these walls, to begin with?" Kiibo questioned with a thoughtful look on his face.

Tsumugi immediately brightened up, clasping her hands together with a bright smile on her face. "You make a great point! So there must be an opening somewhere!"

"Wait, they could have built the cage after we were kidnapped here, no?" I spoke out without much thought. "No one actually knows how long we've been asleep for. We could have been here for a week already."

"Oh...that's right…" Tsumugi sighed and everyone's expressions immediately became grim.

Kokichi rolled his eyes and slapped my back. "Wow, way to go, Shiro-chan. You completely destroyed the good atmosphere."

I felt the heat rise up to my face and hung my head down to stare at the floor in utter embarrassment. "S-sorry…" I muttered out an apology as I fidgeted with my fingers.

"No, you did nothing wrong," Shuichi comforted me with a smile. "We'll find a solution to this problem faster if we all use our heads together."

"Oh, wait!" Gonta, who had been quiet for a long time suddenly spoke up. "Maybe it not matter much, but Gonta find manhole earlier in grass behind school building."

"A manhole?" Kaede pondered.

"Gonta peek in. See big, underground passage. Think maybe exit…?" Gonta said as he crossed his arms.

"What?! Why did you say something that important earlier?!" Tenko cried out. "We should go check that out now!"

"The boiler is behind the school building. We must corroborate Gonta's claim at once," Kirumi's words set everyone into action as we all slowly made our way out of the gym.

As I made my way out of the gymnasium, I turned around and saw that Kaede, Shuichi, and Rantaro were talking about something behind us. I took a step back in an attempt to eavesdrop, only to be pulled aside by Kokichi's hands.

"Nu-uh, eavesdropping isn't what good girls do," Kokichi scolded as he wagged his index finger in front of my face.

I rolled my eyes. "As if that's not something you've done before."

"Of course I've done that before. Many times, actually. I'm the leader of an evil organization with over 10,000 members after all!" Kokichi boasted with a proud look on his face as I sighed and ushered him out of the gym.

"Right, right...let's hurry up and find that exit," I muttered as we made our way out the gym.

I glanced back for a second and shook my head.

 _It'll be fine. Those three aren't kids. It's not like they'll all be killed out of nowhere…_

* * *

"Woah, that manhole looks really heavy. Can we even lift it?" Angie questioned, look at the lid with genuine interest.

"Here, let me try," Kiibo walked up confidently to the manhole, placed his hands onto both ends of it, and pulled hard. He grunted and bent his knees low, making animal-like noises as he tried to pry the manhole open. After a minute, he collapsed onto the ground on his knees. "S-Sorry, I can't do it."

"Huhhhh? Even a robot can't lift it?" Angie frowned in disappointment.

"My physical strength is approximate to that of a strong senior citizen," Kiibo proudly exclaimed as I facepalmed.

"Is that something you should be boasting about…?" I sighed.

"T-That's fucking pathetic," Miu spatted out.

 _Wow, this is probably the only time I would ever agree with Miu on something…_

"Oh, Gonta lift manhole before to peek inside. Should be able to do again too," Gonta suddenly walked up, bent down, and lifted the entire manhole cover off with two fingers. I stared at him with a mixture of shock and amazement. The girls started to scream in horror as they watched Gonta fling the manhole cover five yards away.

"Kehehehe, what wonderful strength. You could likely crush a child's skull with ease," Korekiyo's words made everyone immediately aware of him.

"But Gonta is sooo much more reliable than that bean-counting robot," Kokichi mocked with a playful grin on his face.

"Bean-counting…? I can do much more than that!" Kiibo protested.

"Now that I take a look at it, this place is kind of c-creepy," Tsumugi said as she peered down into the darkness down the manhole. "Are we really going in here?"

"I'm sure it's fine. At the least, we won't be dying down there," Kaito comforted Tsumugi as we all slowly made our way down the manhole.

As I watched everyone climb down the manhole, I could only stare at the manhole with suspicion. Kokichi noticed me staring at the manhole and made his way over to me. He tugged the sleeves of my sweater gently, beckoning me to enter it.

"Come on, let's go," Kokichi smiled as he forcefully dragged me over to the manhole. "It'll be fine."

"I think this is just a bad idea," I blurted out before I could stop myself.

Kokichi halted mid-step and dropped his grip on my arm. He slowly turned his head towards me, a blank look on his face. "What did you say?"

"I mean, think about it. There's no way this isn't a trap by Monokuma. It can't be that easy to find the exit when he went through an elaborate plan to get us here and laid out some specific rules for this game. It can't be over that easily," I reasoned, unconsciously rubbing my arm in anxiety.

Kokichi didn't utter a word and only stared at me as if he were analyzing me from head to toe. After a few seconds of silence, he opened his mouth to speak, an emotion akin to surprise in his eyes. "You're very perceptive, unlike how you look."

My eyes twitched as I resisted the urge to push him down the manhole by clenching my hands into a fist. "Excuse me?" my voice leaking with animosity.

"I didn't mean to be offensive, but sometimes, being too perceptive can be a burden, you know?" Kokichi tilted his head slightly to the side. "I think sometimes it's better to just forget about everything and go with the flow. It makes life more fun and easier that way!"

I glanced at him. "I know, but it doesn't really help to look away from the truth now, does it? Temporarily, maybe...but in the long run, it doesn't change anything. This is a pretty bad situation we've got ourselves in."

Kokichi stayed silent as he pondered my words. Although his neutral expression gave nothing away, I could tell by the slight tension that remained in the air surrounding us that what I said had struck a chord within him. However, before I could question him further, his neutral expression was replaced by an angry look. His eyebrows were scrunched up as he attempted to look fierce.

"You are such a buzzkill! Life is meant to be fun," Kokichi yelled out and started pouting like a child as he spun around and rapidly made his way down the manhole, disappearing from view.

At the sudden absence of his presence, I was left alone to ponder his words. I ruffled the back of my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts and sighed. "I really don't understand what's going on in his head..." I muttered to myself as I took a step towards the manhole and descended down the ladders into the unknown abyss below.

* * *

"What a considerate sign...apparently, the end of the tunnel is the exit," Rantaro happily stated, though I could sense him covering up traces of sarcasm in his speech. "Wonderful."

"Considerate? You don't think it's weird that someone went out of their way to write the word exit for us?" Tenko narrowed her eyes in doubt.

"Oh, just man up and enter the damn thing," Miu snapped as she forcefully marched her way into the tunnel.

Tenko winced as she dragged herself towards the tunnel. "How dare she tell me to act like a degenerate male!" I heard Tenko mumbling to herself as she trod into the tunnel.

"Well, I guess we should all go in…" Korekiyo muttered as he also followed Miu's lead.

"Let's go, guys! We can do this," Kaede cheered us up as the rest of us followed after her.

As soon as we entered the tunnel, my previous suspicions regarding the exit being Monokuma's trap became glaringly obvious. We spent the next twenty minutes attempting to clear the tunnel, only for our efforts to be fruitless in the end. It was impossible for any one of us to make it to the end with all the floating bombs, cage traps, and fire guns aiming at us. Although we lost consciousness several times, Kaede persuaded us into trying again and again and again.

As we attempted the tunnel for the umpteenth time, I felt my knees start to wobble. My breath was growing heavier and more rapid as I gasped for air. I saw Kokichi from the corner of my eyes, crawling on the ground before he got caught inside a huge metal cage that pulled him up into the air. I leaped after him in desperation, only to fail as I plunged down into the cold water below.

I woke up to find myself lying on the ground in front of the tunnel again. I groaned in pain as my bones started to ache. Glancing at everyone else in the room, it was clear that none of us was in any shape to continue any further. I attempted to stand up on my feet, only to crumble back down. My knees started shaking as my breath became uneven.

 _This...this is impossible…_

"I...I can't go on…" Tsumugi barely muttered out as she huddled up into the corner of the room.

"Wait, we can't give up! This time we'll-" Kaede started, only to be interrupted by Kokichi's voice.

"...Knock it off already," Kokichi's voice dropped to a lower register than ever before, his head drooped down so low that the shadows hung over his eyes. It was clear by his tone that he was now no longer joking around or capable of joking around. He lifted his head to glare at Kaede, seething in anger and distaste. "You're free to try again on your own, but forcing us to join you is basically torture."

Kaede's face paled immensely at Kokichi's acerbic and forthright words. Sweat started to roll down her skin as her lips wobbled.

"You know what really hurts?" Kokichi frostily said, eyes shining with burning coldness as he gritted his teeth together in annoyance. "Being denied the right to give up in an impossible situation. You won't let us give up and no matter what we say, you always have the moral high ground."

"B-But I wasn't-" Kaede stammered as her hands trembled.

"When you say we can't give up, you're not inspiring us - you're strong-arming us!" Kokichi shouted out in frustration as hot, wet tears starting to trail down his face.

"Hey, degenerate male! Stop being so selfish," Tenko scolded him, watching as Kaede started to feel guilty.

"I'm not being selfish," Kokichi flinched as he closed one of his eyes in exhaustion, face pale as beads of sweat rolled down his features. "The others feel the same way too."

After Kokichi's declaration, Kaede immediately glanced around the room, eyes darting frantically. Her eyes met mine and I glanced away, not knowing how to respond to her. Even if she had good intentions, there was a limit to my abilities.

"P-Please wait! We can't no give up!" Gonta spoke up, voice laced with desperation.

"You guys! Are you really okay with not getting out of this place?!" Kaito yelled as he held his right hand out in a fist.

"We shouldn't have to push ourselves," Kokichi suddenly brought back his normal demeanor, a sly smirk on his face as he placed a finger over his lips. "Let's just find another way out, okay?"

"...You're talking about the killing game, aren't you?" Rantaro accused as Kokichi grinned.

"Nishishi, you're interpreting it that way, huh?" Kokichi's playful smile made its way back onto his face.

"W-What in the world are you saying?! There's no way we can do the killing game!" Tenko screamed.

"S-Stop guys, we shouldn't be fighting," Shuichi's calm voice failed to affect the dampening mood.

"Geez," Hoshi deadpanned as he turned away from everyone else. "We fell apart pretty quickly for a group that decided to be friends and work together."

"I-I'm sorry...this is all my fault," Kaede quietly confessed as she stared down at the floor in shame.

"No, this wasn't your fault, Kaede," Shuichi attempted to comfort her.

Maki rolled her eyes. "No, I think this is Kaede's fault."

"What did you just say?!" Kaito exclaimed as he glared furiously at Maki.

Maki, completely unfazed by Kaito's hostility, only met Kaito's burning gaze with a threatening look of her own.

 _*Ding Dong Bing Bong*_

The monitor in the underground area suddenly lit up as we saw a feed of the five Monokuma siblings, sitting on the couch once again.

"This is an official announcement from the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles. It is now 10 p.m. Nighttime officially starts now. The dining hall and gym are locked during nighttime, so be careful," the five cubs chimed before the screen cut off again.

"Nighttime, huh?" Rantaro started. "No sense in pushing our luck. We should probably just get a fresh start tomorrow."

"For now, let us head back to the dormitories," Kirumi suggested. "They have rooms prepared for all of us there."

"It makes me feel kind of creeped out to sleep in a place like this," Tsumugi complained.

"There's nothing we can do but suck it up! So what's our plan for tomorrow?" Kokichi playfully asked, as if his previously exhausted front was nothing more but a fleeting dream. "The dining hall opens at 8:00 am, so why don't we meet there at that time?"

"Sure, I think that'll work," Rantaro nodded in agreement. "But just as a warning, we shouldn't let our guards down. We'll be an easy target at night."

After Rantaro's warnings, everyone immediately dispersed. Although Kaede and Kaito were still talking to each other in the tunnel, everyone else had made their way to the dormitories. I ignored Kaede's conversation and climbed out of the manhole, making my way towards the dorms.

I stood in front of the door with my pixelated face on it and opened it cautiously. Stepping inside, I shut the door behind me as I peered into the room. The room had only basic necessities, such as a bed or desk. The wall behind my bed was painted in dark blue while the opposite side was painted in purple. Before I got the chance to explore the room further, I heard a light knock from outside.

My instincts told me that there was only one person it could be and I opened the door without much thought, prepared to face Kokichi.

"Why don't you go to bed already, Kokichi?" I asked before he even opened his mouth.

He pouted. "Awww, you knew it was me? I just wanted to check up on how you were feeling. You seemed pretty bummed out in the tunnel."

I winced and attempted to ignore the growing bruise on my knees. "It's fine. Nothing new for an athlete. Besides, you were the one looking more bummed out."

"Who, me? Oh, that was just a lie," Kokichi spouted out casually with a light shrug. "That game wasn't any fun and I was dying from all the boredom. I riled everyone one up so that I could go back and sleep."

"That's also a lie, isn't it?" I asked with a doubtful stare, feeling wary of every word that came tumbling out of his lips.

It was a rare, almost 'blue moon' occurrence for Kokichi to be caught completely off-guard. His eyes widened imperceptibly as he clenched his fists. "Well now, someone's starting to learn what lying is all about."

"Wait, what?" I sputtered out. "Where'd that come from?"

"That's what makes lying so fun and good. You never what the truth is," Kokichi had a strained expression on his face as he spoke quietly. "There are endless possibilities for them."

"I have no idea where you're going with this," I said, shaking my head lightly in confusion. "What are you trying to say?"

"It's certainly fun to lie," Kokichi started again, face still devoid of emotion, lips pressed together. "But it's even _more_ fun when there's an opponent who can see through them. Then it turns into a psychological battle where only the greatest actor wins."

"...You don't look like you agree to your own words," I stared dubiously at his blank expression.

He shrugged. "When do I ever?"

"...Was that also a lie?" I found myself asking.

He looked back at me straight in the eye, a challenging look on his face. "What do you think, Shirayuki?"

"There's no one who lies one hundred percent of the time," I replied with certainty.

"A logical point," Kokichi agreed. "But not enough for full marks. "

"Is this really fun for you? This...lying game of yours," I asked again.

Kokichi now had his playful grin back onto his features. "Nishishi, of course, it is. That's why I'm having this conversation with you right now, Shiro-chan~"

"Sure, sure," I waved a dismissive hand at him. "Just...do whatever you want."

"Oho? You won't stop me from spouting lies? You're so nice!" Kokichi exclaimed.

I looked at him with frustration in my eyes, crinkling my nose in exhaustion. I massaged my temples, feeling another sharp bout of pain in my head. "You speak as if I can stop you, to begin with."

"Nishishi, that's also true. Anyways, I'm glad we had this fun conversation, but I guess we should call it a night," Kokichi said as he slowly pranced towards his room, which was on the opposite end of mine. Before he disappeared behind his door, he turned back towards me one last time and shot me a mischievous grin. "I hope this isn't the last night we have together~"

"Shut up, you gremlin."

I slammed the door shut and immediately positioned the lock into place. From behind closed doors, I could hear the sound of his laughter echoing inside the dormitory. Then, I heard the sound of his door closing.

Spinning around, I leaned back against the door. Sighing heavily in exhaustion, I slumped down into a huddled position on the floor, head resting on my knees.

There were way too many questions piling up inside of me. The killing game, us being locked inside this school, and Kokichi's lies...or maybe truths? Who knows at this point. All that I knew was that everything was just so...tiring.

The exhaustion finally crept up on me and I felt my eyelids flutter shut. I stumbled over to my bed and plopped myself down on it, pulling the covers over me.

I fell asleep almost immediately.


	5. Chapter 4: An Enigma

**A/N:** Hello again! Thank you for the new favs and follows! If any of you have concerns, critiques, or anything else to say, feel free to review or pm me. I welcome constructive feedback so no need to hold anything back.

I'm posting this a little ahead of schedule because I'll be stuck studying for a while / anyways, I hope you guys enjoy it!

* * *

 **[Chapter 4: An Enigma]**

The whole floor was splattered with red and pink.

A screen in the large room flashed an image with the word 'GUILTY' in capital letters.

The sound of piano music filled the air, but it was anything but pleasant. It was an amateur-like performance, unbefitting of her skills. Each note was off-tune, off-beat, and jarring. You couldn't even call it a piece; it was only a mash-up of random notes.

As if mocking her, the tune picked up into a cacophonous frenzy, the dissonance grating at our ears.

Her body hung limply from the rope, her neck bruised, face purple. As if on cue, the piano lid came sliding down, crushing her frail body between a cage of spikes. The sound of the crack of her bones and limbs being crushed underneath the pressure echoed.

The heavy and festering scent of raw acrid air made the room smell like a slaughterhouse.

She was dead, right in front of our eyes.

And of all the ways to go, she had to have been hung.

It was so gory and brutal that we all wished we were just having a nightmare.

But it was real.

It was our reality.

This wasn't a dream.

It was real.

She's dead.

Dead.

Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead.

Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead.

 **Dead**.

 _Such despair._

* * *

 _*GASP*_

With a dropped jaw, buggy eyes, and sweaty palms, my head popped up from my pillow in a heart-pounding state of emergency. I panted for air, feeling myself hyperventilate as the panic overwhelmed me. Scooting back until my back hit the headboard, I took in consecutive deep and slow breaths to calm myself down. My hands were shivering as I reached out to the side to grab a bottle of water from the drawers next to my bed.

The cap twisted open with a light 'pop' as I took a gulp, feeling the cool liquid enter my body.

I let loose a shaky sigh, placing the bottle back on top of the drawers.

 _What a nightmare that was...to think I would actually dream of Kaede dying._

Although it was seemingly a ridiculous nightmare, I could not bring myself to believe so. The events that transpired yesterday was enough proof of that. Common sense didn't exist inside this cage. Teddy bears could speak, robots could kill, and normal highschoolers could _die_ out of nowhere.

As long as we were inside this living hell, there was a thin line between reality and a nightmare.

I slid myself off the bed and lumbered over to the closet, grabbing a change of clothes. All the outfits in the closet were exact replicas of the ones I wore yesterday. I pulled the sweater over my head and quickly changed, hoping to get some fresh morning air.

 _Actually, is it even morning yet? Did I miss the wake-up announcement?_

"I guess I should spend the time before breakfast exploring the campus more…" I muttered to myself as I made my way out of the room, quietly closing the door behind me so as to not wake anyone else up. With light steps, I plodded out of the dormitories and headed towards the main building.

I shifted my attention up to the skies above. Judging from the trails of rose pink painted across the sky, it was most likely just after dawn, meaning that I had woken up before the Monokuma Morning Announcement.

Walking past the entrance door, I took a right turn and wandered along the corridors before I trod down the staircase to the basement.

Of all the places that I had explored yesterday, the basement definitely seemed the most suspicious - especially the library.

Sliding the dusty door open, I stepped into the library and peered around.

 _The library looks the oldest out of all the rooms inside this building, which means that this building must have been around for quite some time now. However, the other places in this building are much newer and modern. What is going on with this place…? Has it been renovated? But why have we never heard of such a large academy before?_

As I pondered about, I traced my hands on the different books on the shelves. Skimming through the titles, I realized that they were all mystery books or encyclopedias about the world. In particular, most of the books on the top shelves consisted of well-known murder mysteries, obviously planted there by Monokuma to give us 'inspiration'.

 _The Hound of the Baskervilles...The Davinci Code...And Then There Were None...Murder on the Orient Express...A Serial Killer's Love...by Fukawa Toko…?_

After browsing briefly through the shelves, I finally reached the left side of the library. Glancing up at the top of the shelf, I raised an eyebrow, noticing that there were no stacks on top of the specific bookshelf I was standing in front of. Frowning, I inspected the bookshelf more closely.

Although the entire library appeared ancient-looking, there was almost no dust on the sides of this particular bookshelf. Turning my attention down to the floor, I spotted long, gray marks that were engraved on the floor. I raised an eyebrow, sliding my hands along the side of the bookshelf without my thought.

 _*Click*_

The bookshelf shook under my grip and I jumped back in surprise as the floor slightly rumbled. I took a few hurried steps back as the bookshelf suddenly shifted forward and swung open to the side.

"What in the world…?" I gasped out as my eyes widened.

A small corridor appeared behind the bookshelf. A door painted in black and white was at the end of the corridor. To the left was an electronic pad that was most likely used to open the door. There was a slit on it, suggesting that a card was needed.

"Is this...Monokuma's room?" I muttered to myself thoughtfully as I looked carefully at the card reader. Although it was barely noticeable, there were still traces of dust on the reader.

 _Huh...so it wasn't used recently? That's weird..._

 _*Ding Dong Bing Bong*_

The screen in the library flashed an image of the five Monokuma kubs, sitting on the couch. It was the morning announcement, meaning that it was time to gather up at the dining hall.

I immediately reached over to the bookshelf and pushed it back into place, hiding the door from view. After hearing a resounding 'click', I sighed and spun around, hoping to get to the dining hall early…

...only to slam into something.

"Wah!" I yelped as the sheer force knocked me over. As gravity pulled me backward, I reached my hands out unconsciously to grab onto something. To my surprise, someone's hands grasped mine and pulled me forward, saving me from an ungraceful fall. Landing in the person's chest with an 'oomph', I peered up and muttered a muffled 'thank you'...

"Nishishi~ you're welcome, Shiro-chan! But my, aren't you a clumsy athlete," Kokichi's teasing voice entered my right ear and I immediately became alert about our close proximity.

"S-Sorry," I muttered a quick apology and pushed myself off him. I pretended to brush the dirt off my clothing, slowly recollecting my composure.

"No problemo! But hey, what were you doing here so early?" Kokichi questioned in an innocent and playful manner.

"Uh, I woke up early so I decided to explore the place more thoroughly," I answered truthfully, quickly glancing over towards the exit.

 _I really don't want to be stuck with this guy all alone like this. Who knows what's going on in his head?_

Kokichi hummed and stayed quiet for a few seconds as he collected his thoughts together. Then, a sly smirk made its way onto his face. "Oh? Then do tell me why you chose to explore the library of all locations."

Narrowing my eyes at the sudden interrogation, I answered in a calm voice. "Because this place seemed to be the most peculiar. It's the only room that is much older and unkempt than the rest."

Kokichi nodded in understanding. "Ooooh, I see. I can't believe you noticed a detail such as that after exploring the school for only one day. You're amazing!"

I glared at him. "I sense sarcasm dripping all over your words, Kokichi."

"Aw, you found out again," Kokichi pouted, eyes downcast as he rocked back and forth on the soles of his feet. "I was only curious about what you were doing, going somewhere alone so early in the morning."

"So...I decided to stalk you!" Kokichi confessed in a bright voice, eyes shining in a mischievous manner.

"Wha- Since when?!" I exclaimed, gaping in horror.

Kokichi only grinned, placing his arms behind his head in a nonchalant manner. "Oh, like, since the beginning? Since you left your room?"

"Are you serious?! I didn't notice at all…" my shoulders drooped as the energy was drained out of me all of a sudden.

"It's alright, Shiro-chan. No one has ever caught me tailing them before," Kokichi proudly boasted. Then, before I could even react, he abruptly took a step inside my comfort zone.

My eyes slightly widened in surprise at his actions. I took a few steps back to escape from Kokichi, only to find my back against the bookshelf from earlier. I watched as a familiar smirk made its way back onto his face. He placed his hands onto the bookshelf on both sides of me, successfully caging me.

 _What the fuc— a kabedon?!_

"Now tell me honestly, Shiro-chan," he spoke in a slow and lower voice, eyes staring right into mine. "Isn't it possible that you came here because you knew something was hidden here?"

"W-What?" I sputtered out, completely caught off guard at the accusation. "What gave you that idea?"

"Hm, I don't know…" he trailed a lone finger along the side of the bookshelf behind me in an abnormally slow and suspenseful manner as he spoke, eyes never leaving mine for a second. It was as if he was dissecting me apart with his vision, looking for any indication of a lie. "Like how you just so happened to find this secret, little door here?"

My face paled as I realized the implications of his words.

He had caught me in the act, opening this hidden bookshelf when no one was around. This meant one thing: that I could easily be suspected as a potential accomplice in this killing game. Kokichi's piercing gaze betrayed his train of thought. The lines on his forehead and tenseness in his shoulders showed a fraction of how on-edge he was.

 _Shit, he seriously suspects me._

"I-I uh," I stammered, internally wincing at how suspicious I found myself sounding. "I just found this hidden door by coincidence."

"Are you sure?" the authoritative tone of his voice made it impossible for me to say anything but the absolute truth.

I nodded slowly. "I know my actions seem quite suspicious, considering how I sneaked off on my own before everyone else was awake to come here...but I really found that door by coincidence," my voice was reduced to a whimper under his scrutinizing gaze.

Silence caped the room as he continued to stare at me. I could feel myself sweating bullets as I waited for his reaction. Although he was not entirely antagonistic, there was no doubt that I was undergoing one of the most nerve-wracking moments of my life.

"...Alright then," Kokichi eventually resigned, breaking off the tension that was permeating in the air. He backed away from me and gave me time to collect myself together.

I sighed in relief, my head hung low in exhaustion as the black fog of anxiety easing.

"...Well, I knew that, to begin with though, nishishi!" Kokichi's playful tone was back as a huge grin made its way onto his face.

My head immediately snapped up and I stared at him blankly, dumbfounded at the implications of his words. "What the hell did you just say?"

Kokichi tilted his head to the side, pretending to be innocent. "Hm? Oh, I already knew that you aren't the mastermind or the accomplice. I was just fooling with you~"

At his teasing words, I felt an acidic emotion rise up in my chest and the words came tumbling out of my lips before I could even think about the consequences.

"Oh, fuck you, Kokichi."

He froze at my words, his eyes widening in what seemed to be a mixture of awe and surprise.

Realizing my slip-up, I gasped and immediately slammed both of my hands over my mouth. Heat rapidly rushed up to my face, painting my cheeks a rosy red color. "Uh, wait, that wasn't what I really wanted to say-"

As I frantically tried to explain myself, Kokichi suddenly collapsed onto the ground, hugging his stomach as a loud and unrestrained laugh spilled out of his mouth.

"Pfft- Oh my god, Shiro-chan," he wiped the tears away from his eyes as he continued to let loose a hearty laugh. "T-That was just amazing."

"I- oh whatever, shut up already," I snapped at him, attempting to hide my embarrassment at my outburst.

"I-I can't! That was just so...g-golden," Kokichi spouted mid-laughter, banging his fists onto the ground in amusement.

By that point, my face was already as red as a tomato. "Oh come on! It was just an accidental slip-up. I'm not usually that blunt."

"Okay, sure, if you say so," Kokichi got back up onto his feet again as he sniffed, still feeling the lingering effects of his laughing session. "Man, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. You're really something."

"Shut up…" I repeated, massaging my forehead in an attempt to release the aching pain inside my head. "You're really giving me a headache."

"You know, I told you that I was stalking you the whole time, so you should have realized then that I would have seen you searching this room from head to toe," Kokichi pointed out. "Meaning that I would have seen you opening that bookshelf by pure chance...and that you really didn't know that door was there, to begin with."

 _...Good point._

"Well, your eyes weren't joking," I scoffed, making up an excuse to cover up my incompetence at logical reasoning. "And slamming me against the bookshelf really didn't help me. Who would've been able to think calmly in a nerve-wracking situation like that?"

"Eh, Rantaro probably could," Kokichi brought up with a shrug. "Also you backtracked into the bookshelf by yourself. I didn't do anything~"

"Forget the details, Kokichi," I groaned, feeling my face flush again in embarrassment. "It doesn't change the fact that you were apprehensive towards me."

"Well I can't help it, Shiro-chan," Kokichi frowned. "You have to admit how suspicious you were acting, sneaking off all alone in the morning like that. Plus..." his words trailed off and he paused as if he was reluctant to say anything further.

I raised an eyebrow, waiting impatiently for him to continue.

After a short moment of silence, he looked me in the eye with a stoic expression on his face, all signs of playfulness ceasing. "If you really ended up being the mastermind or an accomplice, that wouldn't be fun at all. The faster the mystery unveils itself, the more boring things become."

"What…?" I halted mid-speech, having absolutely no clue how to react to his words.

"Well anyways, I'm hungry so let's go get some breakfast!" Kokichi abruptly changed the topic and sprinted out the door. "Hurry up, Shiro-chan!"

The sound of his receding footsteps echoed down the hallway. I sighed, shaking my head in annoyance. It was really a tall order to decipher Kokichi's words and actions. There was no point in worrying about him now when I had more alarming issues to think about.

Slowly following after his footsteps, I walked out of the library and made my way up to the dining hall.

* * *

"Kehehe, it looks like there were no victims last night," Korekiyo uttered as everyone gathered inside the dining hall.

"It seems like everyone is here," Kaede stated as she looked around the room.

"By the way, are you okay, Kaede?" Kokichi asked, making Kaede turn to him.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kaede questioned.

"Well…" Kokichi's voice trailed off as his eyes narrowed, a small mischievous smile making its way onto his face. "You looked really bummed out after everyone started blaming you yesterday."

"H-Hey, what are you doing all of a-" Tsumugi started, only for Kokichi to interrupt her.

"Seriously, you guys are so mean. Poor girl, she tried her best to encourage everyone and you losers got mad at her anyway," Kokichi faked a sorrowful look, much to Kiibo's dismay.

"You were the one who started it!" Kiibo yelled, pointing his index finger at Kokichi in an accusing manner.

"H-Huh? Now it's my fault? Why are you guys ganging up on me?" Kokichi's eyes started to water as his lips trembled. "WAHHHHHHHHH! You guys are so terrible! So horrible and mean!"

Tears and snot started rolling down his face as he started to wail. I facepalmed as I watched him bawling like a child. "Kokichi, we all know those are fake, so stop it already," I ordered with an exhausted sigh.

"If Shiro-chan says so, okay," Kokichi's tears came to an abrupt stop. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Hoshi was shaking his head in disapproval, while Rantaro was rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"But it's true though," Kaito started while rubbing the back of his neck. "Everyone blamed Kaede without taking any responsibilities themselves."

"Come on, everyone was probably just tired," Rantaro attempted to calm the situation down.

"Shut it! That's no excuse," Kaito protested, clenching his hands into fists.

"No, it's okay! It doesn't bother me," Kaede lied through her teeth as she visibly trembled. "I should have been more considerate of everyone's feelings."

Then she turned towards the rest of us and bowed. "I was too focused on the tunnel...I'm sorry guys…" Kaede apologized.

"Well, if you're okay with it…" Kaito backed down from the argument.

"Phew, cool beans! Now everything's settled!" Kokichi brightly exclaimed, breaking the tension in the room.

"Wait, you did blame her first though," Kiibo pointed out.

"Hm? Oh, that was a lie. Y'know, one of those lies to make us more united or whatever," Kokichi brushed Kiibo's claims off. "Did you know that half of my lies are actually told with good intentions?"

 _...As much as I don't want to admit it, he's right. He can't read social cues for shit, but everything he does is logical and reasonable._

"Now that sounds like a lie," Himiko accused as she tilted her cap slightly over her narrowed eyes.

"Come on guys, just forget about it," Kaede smiled, hoping to dismiss the sullen mood in the dining hall. "Let's all think of another way to get out of this place together!"

Then, without warning, Monokuma appeared out of nowhere from the ceiling and dropped down onto the floor in front of us. "Before you do that, I have an announcement!"

"Aaaaaah!" Kaede screamed, grabbing Shuichi's hands who only yelped in surprise at the sudden contact.

"D-Don't just appear out of nowhere like that! It's bad for my heart," Tsumugi complained, only for Monokuma to promptly ignore her.

"Well I thought about something overnight and realized something crucial," Monokuma started. "Being thrust into a killing game doesn't mean you'll actually be able to kill someone that easily."

Then, Monokuma sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "So I figured I'd ease you guys into the killing game by giving you a motivation to kill."

"Motivation to kill…?" Maki questioned, eyes narrowing with suspicion regarding Monokuma's true intention.

"Basically a motive!" Monokuma exclaimed. "Even if a killer is exposed, they could just whip up a sob story to deceive everyone, right?"

"I-I can't follow your logic at all," Kiibo confessed.

"I will now announce the first motive! Make sure you record this moment for posterity!" Monokuma guffawed before his eyes flashed red. He jumped onto the dining table and spread his arms wide, turning to look at us. "Now then, the special motive I've prepared is called the First Blood Perk! This means that for the first murder that occurs, no class trial will be held! Can you believe it?"

My eyes narrowed immediately at his words. "So that means the first person to kill gets to leave hands clean?"

"Stop messing around with us," Kaede yelled out, glaring in anger at Monokuma. "Do you think this is fun for us? Do you really think I would kill someone just to get out of here?"

Kaede shook her head furiously before she pointed her index finger at Monokuma. "We're not going to lose to you! We promised each other we'd escape from this place together!"

"Upupupu, spare me your false bravado," Monokuma only mocked Kaede while chuckling.

"I see…" Rantaro spoke up, a thoughtful look plastered on his face. "The prisoner's dilemma, huh? How clever of you, Monokuma."

"Prisoner's dilemma? What the hell is that?" Kaito asked the question that was on everybody's minds.

"In other words, a zero-sum game," I explained as everyone turned towards me. "We all know it's better to cooperate. However, committing murder gives us the chance of escaping from this place - and for free, in this case. If we are all wary of one another, someone is bound to commit murder in fear of someone else taking advantage of the First Blood Perk. As a result, we all plunge towards the worst case scenario: where someone eventually commits murder."

"Yes, I couldn't have explained it any better myself," Rantaro smiled at me, nodding in recognition.

Although it was only for a fraction of second, from the corner of my eye, I saw Kokichi clench his fists in displeasure as he glared at Monokuma with genuine hatred and anger.

"And if murder were to occur, it would be even less likely for us to cooperate," Shuichi pointed out as Kaede's face paled further.

"So he created this perk for this sole purpose," Korekiyo muttered, nodding in understanding.

"Yep! I bet you can't stand all the tension in the air, right? So might as well just go for the kill!" Monokuma cackled.

"What exactly is your objective? It seems that you are hellbent on forcing us into participating in this killing game," Kirumi questioned.

"It doesn't matter what the hell his objective is!" Kaito yelled as he lunged forward towards Monokuma to grab him.

"Stop! We won't let you hurt daddy!" Monophanie's voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere as the five Monokubs entered the dining hall.

"Finally, it's time for the Exisals!" Monotaro yelled.

"R-Run, Kaito!" Kaede hollered out.

At that moment, we heard menacing mechanical noises. The Exisals entered the dining hall and charged towards Kaito. Then, we heard a weird noise.

"GRAHHHHH!" Monokuma screamed as he was crushed underneath the Exisal's mechanical foot. Monokuma's body then exploded under the pressure and his parts scattered throughout the dining hall.

I stared blankly, barely stifling a snort as I watched the Monokubs hover over the remaining parts of their 'father', mourning over his supposed death.

"Uh...what just happened?" Tenko voiced out.

"I have no clue, but Monokuma's in pieces now," Hoshi stated.

"S-Serves him right! It was all his fault," Kaito stammered, obviously shaken by the explosion.

"Calm down, everyone. Monokuma's spare will probably be brought up to life," Kirumi pointed out.

"There is no spare! Our father is the only father we have!" Monophanie cried out as she dragged Monokuma's body onto Monodam's back.

"Let's take him back and bury him," Monotaro said as the other four cubs nodded. Then, they swiftly exited out of the dining hall.

"...Um, what's going on?" Tsumugi's confused voice broke everyone out of their stupor.

"Hmm, well everything's a huge mess now," Kokichi smiled. "But if there's no final boss, then that means this killing game is canceled!"

"H-Huh? Canceled?" Gonta exclaimed, voice dripping with happiness.

"No, I don't think so," Rantaro cut in. "Monokuma's just a robot. Someone has to be controlling him."

Kokichi just laughed playfully. "Ahahaha, don't be such a worrywart! Everything's definitely over now. With the mastermind gone, continuing this game is pretty much impossible! Which means, we win!"

I sighed, shaking my head at his fake optimism. I knew for a fact that he was lying through his teeth since he just accused me of controlling Monokuma a few moments ago. That meant that he knew someone was Monokuma's accomplice, and yet he was faking this hopeful facade.

 _What is he up to now…?_

"We did it! Nyahaha!" Angie cheered, raising both her arms into the air.

"So we're not in danger anymore?" Tenko quietly asked, hoping for someone to reassure her.

"Oh, so do we just wait here for the shuttle bus to pick us up?" Tsumugi added.

"W-Wait a minute! We don't know yet for sure if-" Kaede interrupted.

"Kaede, quit being a buzzkill! Everyone's still annoyed about what you did yesterday!" Kokichi glared at Kaede, but without hostility.

"B-But I didn't mean it that way," Kaede started.

"Or, is there something else that you would have us do, Kaede?" Korekiyo asked.

"Don't tell me you want us to take on that passageway again?" Miu screamed, lashing out in annoyance at Kaede.

"S-Sorry," Kaede shrunk back, intimidated by everyone else's opinions.

"Whatever looks like we're done here!" Kokichi hummed a cheerful tune as he slowly made his way out of the dining hall. "See everyone else later!"

Everyone looked around at each other, unsure what to do next. I stood still, brooding over the events that had just transpired in front of my eyes. In less than a day, our situation had gone even more downhill. Even though Monokuma's motive should have been the most unsettling incident yet, my mind wasn't thinking about it at all.

There was something else bugging me and if I didn't resolve it soon, it would only be a nuisance later on.

Before anyone else could walk up to me, I spun around on my heels and took a step towards the exit of the dining hall.

"Wait, Shirayuki! You're going too?" I heard Kaede call after me.

"Sorry, I need to check something with Kokichi so I'll be taking my leave now," I ignored her pleas and left the dining hall.

* * *

"And there they go. I wonder what they're up to?" Tsumugi pondered out loud.

"Hah! They're going to get all hot and steamy, that's what!" Miu's uproariously guffawed, her spit flying all over. Her suggestion caused everyone else to gag in disgust. Korekiyo was shaking his head in exasperation, while Ryoma simply sighed and pulled his hat down to cover his eyes.

"I really don't see how I can become friends with...that," Ryoma settled on an ambiguous pronoun as Kaede sweatdropped.

"Uh, let's not be quick to judge," Kaede attempted to change Ryoma's mind.

"I think that's way too late," Maki deadpanned, heading out the dining hall immediately. "I'm going back to my room. Don't stop me."

"Geez, so unsociable," Kaito rubbed the back of his head, looking tired. "Guess I'll head back and take a nap too."

As both Maki and Kaito exited, Miu only cackled louder. "Wonder whose room they're going back to?"

Rantaro facepalmed, shaking his head in disproval. Ryoma groaned, pulling his hat even further down to the point where it stretched over his nose. Tsumugi and Kirumi sighed, making their way out of the dining hall immediately. Shuichi just sweatdropped as Kaede dryly laughed from beside him.

Miu frantically glanced around the room, sweat dripping down her face as she felt the pointed stares. "W-What?" her voice shook as she grew more self-conscious. "I was only stating the obvious!"

"I think we need to redefine the line between reality and fantasy more," Korekiyo chuckled. "Someone is obviously having a lustful daydream right in front of our eyes. Then again, nothing new to me."

Shuichi almost choked on thin air at Korekiyo's words. Kaede rubbed his back soothingly in an attempt to calm him down.

"That's it, I'm out of here," Ryoma briskly walked past Miu and kicked the dining hall's door open. "I suggest everyone else follow me too unless they want to lose even more of their brain cells."

"...Yeah, I agree," Himiko and Tenko chorused as they ran out of the room, face blank.

"H-Huh? Where's everyone going?!" Miu started to wail, running after them. "Don't leave me alone with these cherry boys!"

"Cherry boy? Gonta not sure what that means," Gonta wondered while crossing his arms.

"That word isn't in my database too. Would someone be willing to explain it to me?" Kiibo asked innocently.

Kaede and Shuichi glanced at each other for split second before simultaneously yelling to each other. "You explain it, please."

"Also, Ryoma said he was going to lose brain cells listening to Miu's speech. Is that a scientifically true fact?" Kiibo continued to pester Shuichi and Kaede with answers.

Rantaro looked blandly at the group from the sidelines, muttering to himself. "This is going to be one long day..."

* * *

I spent a few minutes searching for Kokichi before I spotted him outside the window, skipping towards the dorm.

I sprinted out of the building and headed to the dorm. As I walked through the glass doors of the dorm, Kokichi spun around, noticing the sound of my footsteps.

"Hm? What's up, Shiro-chan? It's rare for you to be the one to come up to me~" Kokichi smiled brightly at the thought.

I sweatdropped. "Uh, yeah, whatever. What was that about back there?"

"What…?" Kokichi trailed off before he picked up on what I was going on about. "Ah, you mean what I said about the killing game being canceled? Well, that was an obvious lie!"

"I know that already," I started, glaring at him. "But what's the point of lying there in front of everyone?"

"Didn't I just say this before?" Kokichi frowned. "Half of my lies are told with good intentions!"

It took a small moment for his words to sink in. "So...you lied to make everyone feel better?"

"Yep!" Kokichi confessed a proud look on his face.

"And so you lie to yourself as well in the process? How can you do that so easily?" I found the words tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Kokichi jolted imperceptibly. It was clear that he did not expect the conversation to be steered in that particular direction. The smile slowly disappeared from his face as he looked me blankly in the eye. "You know, Shiro-chan," Kokichi's voice suddenly became monotonic and lifeless. "Sometimes, I don't know if it's fun or boring to be with you."

"...As usual, I have no idea what you're talking about," I started with a sigh, lightly shaking my head. "You...confuse me, Kokichi."

"Oh? How so?" Kokichi tilted his head to the side in inquiry.

"I can't understand you sometimes and it's really...troubling," I chose my words carefully. "To be honest, even more so than this killing game."

Kokichi perked up at that, his eyes shining brightly again with stars. "Wow, really?" Kokichi started, back to his normal energized self. "I can't believe you think I'm more confusing than this killing game. You're quite the masochist, aren't ya?"

I rolled my eyes. "And you're the one to talk, lying to yourself so often like that. But that's not my point," I ran my fingers through my bangs, pushing them to the side in frustration. "I can see the intention behind this killing game. It's just pure malice. But you're different. You act contradictory at times and I can never see your true intentions behind your lies."

"That just means you're terrible at being lied to!" Kokichi pointed out with a mocking grin on his face. "The point of lying is to hide the truth, so it's no wonder you can't see through me-"

Kokichi suddenly paused mid-speech. His grin disappeared in the blink of an eye and it turned into a frown. "I don't know what's more annoying, the fact that you can actually see through me or the fact that you're completely oblivious about it."

I jolted at his words. "...Huh? I can see through you?"

Kokichi scoffed, glaring at me. "So you really are clueless. No wonder you can spit out such hurtful words. How sinful."

"I...my words hurt you? When did I do that...?" my voice trailed off, quivering.

 _What is he talking about? I don't understand..._

"Nothing!" Kokichi's facade was back in place as if it had never been taken down, to begin with. "I'm going to go rest in my room now! See you later, okay?"

Without waiting for my response, Kokichi opened the door to his room and disappeared behind it.

I was left in a turmoil, standing there alone in the middle of the dorm, pondering the meaning behind Kokichi's words. There was no doubt about it, now that I had talked to Kokichi numerous times the last two days.

Kokichi was an enigma - even more so than the mystery behind our kidnapping and this killing game.


	6. Chapter 5: Collaborating

**A/N:** Hey guys! Thank you for the new favorites, follows, and reviews. I didn't expect to get any attention at all with this story, so I'm glad that this has managed to peak some interests. Anyways, if there are any concerns or critiques, please do not hesitate to review. I accept all constructive criticisms.

So without further ado, I present you with chapter 5 ^^

* * *

 **[Chapter 5: Collaborating]**

After Kokichi left for the dorms, I returned back to the dining hall. Most of the students had already dispersed, each doing their own thing. Rantaro was the only one left, sitting in one of the chairs with a thoughtful look plastered on his face. Realizing that I had not caught up with him after our first meeting in the classroom, I walked over towards the table and plopped myself down onto the seat next to him.

Recognizing my presence, he turned his head around and smiled. "Is something the matter, Shirayuki?"

"Not really. I just figured that I'd tell you about my findings since we agreed to share our ideas a few days ago," I replied to his question.

"Ah, right, we did plan to do so…" Rantaro's voice trailed off as he suddenly became quiet. He hung his head low, casting a shadow over his eyes as he glanced at me.

I raised a dubious eyebrow at his actions. "What's wrong?"

"...No, it couldn't be," I heard Rantaro whisper to himself in an almost inaudible manner, as he shook his head lightly like he was tossing away his anxiety.

I stared blankly at him, knowing exactly what was running through his mind. "Ah, I see," I abruptly stood up from my chair, its legs screeching against the floor.

"Uh, what?" Rantaro flinched at the sound, tilting his head to the side in confusion at my actions.

"You can't trust me yet, am I right? That's why you're skeptical about talking to me. I'm not going to force someone who doesn't want to talk to do so," I started as I briskly made my way towards the exit.

"Ah, please wait a moment," Rantaro stood up frantically, following after me as I trod out the door. Catching up to my steps, he placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me in my tracks. "My apologies. I didn't want to come off as someone untrusting."

I lightly brushed his hand off my shoulder and shook my head. "No, your actions are actually normal in a situation as bizarre as this. Everyone else is definitely out of their minds."

"You don't believe the killing game has been canceled, do you?" Rantaro questioned with a frown.

"They took a lot of effort to kidnap all of us here," I explained, crossing my arms on my chest. "This is just the calm before the storm."

"I agree as well. Much less, it sounds somewhat ridiculous for the mastermind to self-implode like that. That wouldn't be a fitting ending to this farce at all," Rantaro added, a small wry smile on his face.

I stifled a laugh as the memory flashed through my mind. "True. I admit that was quite hilarious."

Noticing my lightened mood, Rantaro's pleasant smile made its way back onto his face. "Hey, Shirayuki?"

"Yeah?" I turned around to face him.

Rantaro just stood there, looking at me. He fiddled with the strands of hair on his neck nervously as he braced himself to continue his speech.

"...I cannot trust you a hundred percent," Rantaro began evenly as I immediately tensed up. "But I am willing to bet on the chance that you are not my enemy."

At his words, a thought popped into my head. "Wait a minute," I stopped him from continuing his speech. "The fact that you're questioning me right now and calling me an enemy means that you have already deduced that there is a mastermind within our group?"

Rantaro's calm and stoic appearance faltered as he jolted in surprise, sweat rolling down his face. I sweatdropped, watching him rub the back of his neck in a sheepish manner. "Whoops, I really did not mean to inform you that there was a mastermind in our group. It seems that I've given you the slip-up."

I snorted at his remarks, a lopsided grin on my face. "Well well, even the cool and collected Rantaro makes a mistake too, huh?"

"Please, I'm only human," Rantaro replied with a shrug, chuckling at my teasing remarks.

"Well, I'm glad you seem to be a good human being," I smiled to myself, nodding in satisfaction.

Rantaro blinked. "Good, you say? What do you mean?"

"The fact that you're telling me that there's a mastermind in our group implies that you're most likely not the mastermind or their accomplice," I explained. "Which means, to a certain extent, I can also trust you with my findings."

"I suppose so. You've been mentioning your findings for a while now. Does that mean that you have found a clue of some sort?" Rantaro asked, voice rising to a higher pitch as his eyes twinkled with poorly concealed excitement.

I nodded, feeling elated. "Yeah, there's something that I want to show you down in the library."

As soon as I finished uttering the word 'library', Rantaro froze. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at me in both awe and amazement. My eyebrows scrunched up at his peculiar actions.

"Uh, did I say something wrong?" I asked meekly, peering up at him to gauge his reaction.

He shook his head lightly and smiled widely — probably the widest I've seen yet. "Nothing. Please don't mind me. It seems I've encountered quite the pleasant surprise."

I raised an eyebrow at his cryptic words but chose to ignore them. For the time being, I had to show Rantaro the hidden door in the library. We made our way down the stairs in silence and stopped in front of the library's rear entrance.

"You know, Shirayuki," Rantaro suddenly spoke up as I opened the sliding door.

"Hm?" I muttered as I stepped inside the room.

"Just because I told you about the mastermind's presence doesn't necessarily mean that I'm not the mastermind," Rantaro stated, stepping inside the room and closing the door behind him. "For all you know, I might have slipped up about the mastermind on purpose to make you lower your guard."

I tilted my head in his direction, acknowledging his point. "You know, I tend to be quite perceptive of things and I have confidence when it comes to seeing through other people's lies and hidden intentions."

An image of a certain purple-head popped up into my mind.

"You do have a point, but your embarrassed reaction at your slip-up just now was definitely genuine," then a nervous smile made its way onto my face as I grimaced. "Now, let's just pray that you don't happen to be the Ultimate Actor in disguise."

Rantaro blinked before he burst out laughing at my remark, doubling over with his hands on his knees.

I glared at him and jabbed a finger into his side, though he brushed it off easily, trailing off into another fit of laughter.

* * *

"Hm? What's that you're holding there, Kokichi?" Kaito asked as Kokichi strolled pass him down the hallway.

"Oh, this?" Kokichi popped his head out from behind the large white screen. "It's a giant whiteboard that I found in the storage room!"

"I already know that! I'm asking what you're doing with it!" Kaito snapped as Kokichi frowned.

"I just wanted to draw stuff on it. Why do you have to be so apprehensive?" Kokichi pouted.

Kaito rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I think you know well enough why everyone treats you like the odd one out."

"Hey! That's not true! Take that back," Kokichi angrily shouted and pointed an accusing finger at Kaito's face.

Kaito only stared blankly at him. "Is this also a lie?"

Kokichi immediately brightened up. "Wow! I can't believe you figured me out! You've grown up so well, my child~"

Kaito choked on thin air and started sputtering. "WHAT?! W-Who the hell is your child?!"

"Nishishi, I'm just kidding~ geez you get flustered so easily," Kokichi snickered out loud as he started prancing down the hallway with light and nimble steps, pushing the whiteboard along with him. "Toodles~"

"Wha- wait a minute, you brat!" Kaito yelled, only to be ignored by Kokichi who continued strolling down the hallway.

Kokichi hummed a cheery tune as he made his way to the giant door that led outside the building. Kicking the door open with his foot, he swiftly pushed the whiteboard outside. As he turned around to close the door, he heard muffled voices from the other end of the building. Raising an eyebrow, he decided to reenter the building, searching for the origin of the voices.

As he poked his head down the opposite hallway from the storage room, he witnessed two figures walking down the stairs to the basement. He squinted his eyes, trying to figure out who the pair was. His eyes widened as he recognized immediately the vibrant green hair and the blue sweater.

"Rantaro...and….Shirayuki?" Kokichi whispered to himself as his eyes narrowed.

Kokichi wasn't sure how to feel at the sight. A part of him didn't care, as it was none of his business what the other students in the building were up to. He shouldn't need to care and he didn't want to care, not when he had a thousand other problems to care about, such as getting the hell out of this stupid killing game.

But despite his logical thoughts, his heart refused to agree with him. All of a sudden, his mind went blank as the two figures disappeared down the staircase. An unknown bitter and acidic emotion rose up to his chest.

Living a life of lies had more serious repercussions than he thought. If you reinforce a lie long enough, it eventually warps to become the truth. But when this happens consistently, you lose sight of what the actual truth is.

Unbeknownst to the others and even _himself_ , Kokichi Ouma was indeed suffering from the backlash of his own well-fabricated lies. As a boy who constantly lied to himself about his own feelings, Kokichi had times where he felt as if he were stranded — left unable to identify any of his own emotions.

And this was one of those times.

Whatever it was he was feeling, Kokichi hated it. The numbness that swept over him, the dark and childish feelings creeping up from his feet, swallowing him whole — he absolutely hated it all.

He shook his head furiously, ruffling the disheveled strands of hair on his head. Slapping both of his hands onto his cheeks, he winced at the pain.

"Focus, Kokichi, focus," he muttered to himself before spinning around and stomping off out the building, like a child having a tantrum.

He slammed the door shut with his foot and immediately started pushing the whiteboard down the courtyard, sprinting towards the dorms. Ignoring all the weird looks he was receiving from the other occupants nearby, he made his way into his room, carrying the whiteboard up the stairs.

Sliding the whiteboard into one of the corners inside the room, Kokichi reached into his pockets and pulled out a whiteboard marker, a pile of photos, and smiley-face magnets.

With a huge sigh, he immediately got to work, ignoring at all costs the emptiness that he felt inside of him.

"Just focus on getting out of here alive. It isn't like you to be so distracted like this."

...But what was _like_ him, to begin with? Oh, how he wished he knew.

* * *

"Let's go, Tsumugi!" Kaede cheerfully laughed as she pranced into the game room.

Tsumugi trailed after Kaede, chuckling at how enthusiastic Kaede was. "You don't have to be that excited, you know?" Tsumugi smiled lightly, taking a seat in one of the chairs in the room. "It's no big of a deal."

"Well, for me, it is!" Kaede exclaimed, sliding into the seat next to Tsumugi. She had a bright smile on her face, eyes gleaming with excitement. "I've never painted my nails before since I'm a pianist and all. This is really exhilarating for me!"

Tsumugi waved her hand in the air, sweating. "Don't raise the bar up so high. I'm only an amateur."

Kaede shook her head, grinning even wider. "Nah, you're still a hundred times better than me when it comes to fashion or other girly stuff."

"Well, if you say so," Tsumugi shrugged. Then, she beckoned for Kaede to extend her hands. "Let's start with your left hand."

Kaede complied and thrust her left hand out. Tsumugi grasped her hand around Kaede and reached into the pocket of her skirt, pulling out a small bottle. The nail polish was pastel pink in color, just like Kaede's school vest. As Tsumugi carefully painted Kaede's nail, Kaede hummed a soft tune.

"What song is that? It sounds familiar..." Tsumugi mused, flicking the paint over the corners of Kaede's fingernail.

"Ah, it's a piano piece by Debussy called Claire de Lune. It's one of my all-time favorites," Kaede explained zealously as she closed her eyes. "It's so beautiful and serene. I often like to imagine myself, sitting on the edges of a beautiful lake in the forest at night with the silver moon shining down upon me. I think the piece fits so well with that image."

"I'd love to hear you play one day, Kaede," Tsumugi said. "I wonder if there's a piano in this building somewhere..."

Kaede glanced up at the ceiling, pondering for a second. "Hm, well, Monokuma did say this was a school building. Then there should be a music room somewhere. Maybe we just can't access it yet."

"I hope there's also a dressing room somewhere. I'd love to put cosplay onto you," Tsumugi's eyes twinkled with excitement.

Kaede sweatdropped. "I don't think I'd make a good cosplayer."

"No no, it's the heart that counts. I know this violinist character that has blonde hair like you. I think you'd be a perfect match for her!" Tsumugi screamed in excitement as she placed the brush back into the bottle. "All done!"

"I don't know how to play the violin, but thanks for the invitation. Also, this is so cute! I can't believe it's my own nail," Kaede gasped in surprise, looking down at Tsumugi's work.

"Please, it's only a basic one-tone nail polish. Nothing fancy at all," Tsumugi sheepishly flushed at Kaede's compliment.

"Still, I really appreciate it! If only I had a piano now, I'd give you one hell of a performance as thanks," Kaede sighed, pouting to herself.

Tsumugi just flashed a pleasant smile at Kaede. "It's alright. Once we get out of here, you can play for me as much as you like."

"I guess you're right," Kaede smiled back. "Let's get back to the outside world together: all of us. Then, I promise that I'll play for you no matter how many times you want. Deal?"

Kaede held out her pinky finger, now beautifully painted in pink. Tsumugi stared at Kaede's finger, beads of sweat rolling down her face. With a small gulp and slight hesitation, Tsumugi held out her own pinky finger and entwined it with Kaede's.

She gave Kaede a shaky smile, who only nodded in oblivious excitement.

"I promise Kaede. Let's get out of here together."

 _If only Kaede knew what Tsumugi was planning for her at that moment._

 _Oh, the_ _irony_.

* * *

 _*Ding Dong Bing Bong*_

I jolted up at the sound of the morning announcement. Ignoring the monokubs on the screen, I immediately dressed myself up.

Yesterday, I showed Rantaro the hidden-door behind the bookshelf. For some particular reason, Rantaro was not surprised at all and remained calm and stoic as always.

Then again, he was always cool and collected.

Afterward, I made my way back to the dorm and knocked on Kokichi's door, hoping to have another talk with him. However, there was no reply. Confused as to his whereabouts, I searched the entire campus to find him but came back empty-handed. After that, I spent the rest of the day inside my room before I fell asleep from exhaustion.

 _Alright, let's go to the dining hall…_

As promised, I made my way towards the dining hall. Standing outside the dining hall, I could hear a raucous fray of chattering coming from inside. I opened the door and saw that everyone was in extremely high spirits as they enthusiastically talked with one another.

"Man, for a moment there I had no idea what was going to happen! I'm glad it turned out like this!" Kokichi's optimistic voice caught my ear.

"Yeah, seriously!" Kaito gave a hearty laugh as Himeko grinned.

"I slept so well last night, nyeh~" Himiko chimed brightly.

"Praise be to Atua. Surely, he helped you in his own mysterious, miraculous way," Angie had her hands together in a praying motion.

"This Atua seems to be very secretive," Tsumugi commented, a smile on her face nevertheless.

I looked around the room and saw that everyone was in a great mood, except for Rantaro, Shuichi, Kaede, and I. Glancing over at Rantaro, I saw that he had his hands on his hips, staring down at the ground in frustration as he signed loudly.

"Hm? Why the long face?" Ryoma questioned.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just...thinking about things," Rantaro sheepishly said.

"Hm...I wonder if things will really end this well," Kaede suddenly thought out loud, turning everyone's attention towards her.

I winced as everyone's piercing stares landed on her.

 _Bad move, Kaede…_

"I wonder...do you wish the killing game would have continued?" Korekiyo slyly asked as Kaede furiously shook her head.

"N-No, that's not what I meant," Kaede panicked as she attempted to defend her thoughts.

"Then don't ruin our happy moment, you fuckin' skank!" Miu shouted as Kaede flinched.

"What are you so worried about, Kaede? Monokuma is dead, so there's no way the killing game is going to continue, right?" Kokichi asked innocently.

At that moment, a hole opened on the floor in the middle of the dining hall and Monokuma leaped out, much to everyone's dismay.

"And that's my cue!" Monokuma happily exclaimed.

"GWAHHHHHH!" Tenko screamed as her face distorted into one of sheer horror.

"Wha- HE'S STILL ALIVE?!" Kaito yelled out as his face became blue from sudden nausea.

"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me!" Miu screeched.

"D-Does this mean the killing game is still continuing?" Shirogane pointed out, face also paling.

"W-What do you mean the killing game is going to continue?" Kokichi looked crestfallen for a split second before he returned back to his normal cheery self. "I mean, that sounds a lot less boring...so I guess it's okay~"

I sweatdropped at his actions. "Your mood swings are so sudden I don't even know how to react anymore…"

"It seems this game is not over…" Rantaro spoke up as Kirumi nodded in agreement.

"Well, I expected this to be happening, sooner or later. This development was not surprising," Kirumi added as she glared at Monokuma with fury.

"Oh is that so? Then did you also predict this next exciting development?" Monokuma spoke with a sinister chuckle as he spread his arms out in a dramatic fashion, just like before. "AHEM! Now then, I am pleased to announce an additional motive!"

"W-What? An additional motive?!" Kaede exclaimed.

"A time limit is now in effect! If a murder does not occur by nighttime, two days from now...then every student forced to participate in this killing game will die! So unless you want to be turned into pink smears, you better take this game seriously!" Monokuma announced.

"T-Time limit?" Gonta repeated, eyes swirling in confusion and panic at the new piece of information.

"What? That's not fair!" Tenko argued.

"Enough! Why are you doing this to us?!" Kaede barked in a loud voice, face red with anger.

"Why are you making us suffer like this?" Kiibo questioned.

Monokuma only sneered at our reactions. "Suffering? Well, if you're suffering, you better hurry up and start the game so you can leave!"

"Bye-kuma~" Monokuma copied the monokubs as he made his way out the dining hall.

After Monokuma dropped the bombshell on us, the festive atmosphere from before had completely dissipated. All that remained, what utter fear...and despair. Everyone just stared at the ground in silence, shivering and shuddering at the horrendous events transpiring in front of their eyes.

"What are we going to do…? Nighttime in two days will be here in an instant!" Tsumugi quietly spoke up, voice shaking.

"Th-There's gotta be something we can do! The world needs my genius!" Miu exclaimed.

"We can't panic like this! I-I'll do something!" Kaito suddenly announced.

"Uh, do you have a specific action in mind?" Kiibo questioned.

"I'm going to start thinking of one right now!" Kaito yelled out as I sweatdropped.

"Figures. I didn't expect anything from you, to begin with," Maki sighed and shook her head at Kaito's stupidity.

"Gonta will fight back!" Gonta declared as well.

"You're going to fight back against those machines? There's a limit to how reckless one can be…" Ryoma criticized as he fiddled around with the hat on his head.

"Wait, we still have time to calculate different possibilities-" Kiibo started, only to be interrupted.

"Unfortunately, we don't," Korekiyo explained. "We have no time to be indecisive. We are being urged to either die fighting or die from the time limit."

"Why do both choices involve us dying?!" Shirogane protested.

"A-Are we really going to die?" Kokichi's voice quivered as tears started to flow down his eyes. "I don't want to die yet...I'm going to survive…! I'm going to survive, no matter what!"

"Uh, no matter what?" I questioned.

Kokichi ignored me and continued to sob.

 _...Wait, is he actually distressed right now?_

"Wait, you can't do that, though! Even if you make a mistake, you can't-" Kaede voiced out her dissent.

"Then you'll accept the blame?" Kokichi cut Kaede off, a smile back on his face.

"Huh?" Kaede took a step back in confusion at the sudden change in attitude.

"Will you accept the blame if I die? I have people who'll be sad if I die, y'know?" Kokichi asked as Kaede paled.

"Uh, well…" Kaede fumbled her words as Kokichi simply laughed.

"Nishishi, I'm lying. No one will be sad if I die," my heart sank at his words. "But I don't know if the same can be said for everyone else."

Everyone just looked around at each other, unsure how to respond to Kokichi's words.

"Well, anyways. I'm going to take off now!" Kokichi announced.

"Take off? Where are you going, Kokichi?" Rantaro questioned, eyes narrowed as he stared at Kokichi who had a sly smirk on his face.

"Oh, I don't know…" Kokichi started, voice dropping to a lower register as he eyed us all in a mysterious manner. "Maybe I'll go back to my room and just think things over. Alone."

Then, he immediately exited the room.

"Alone? What the hell? Is he inviting us to go kill him?!" Miu yelled out.

"W-What if he's planning something? Like a murder?!" Shirogane exclaimed in a panic.

"S-Someone go find out what he's up to! One of you degenerate males, go!" Tenko ordered.

"Why us males?!" Kiibo yelled out.

"Guys, calm down," Rantaro clapped his hands loudly to catch everyone's attention. "Let Kokichi do his own thing."

"But what if he's-" Tenko started to protest.

"For now, we should be focusing on what we can do from now on," Rantaro started. "It doesn't matter if someone chooses not to cooperate with us. The majority of us should still try to find a way out of this mess."

"Well...you're right...but…" Shirogane muttered, not completely convinced by Rantaro's words.

Looking around at everyone's dubious expressions, Rantaro sighed. "Shirayuki, can you go check up on Kokichi, then?"

"Huh? Me?" I asked in surprise that Rantaro would call my name.

"No! It's too dangerous for a girl to go! You degenerates go yourself!" Tenko protested as my eyes twitched.

"Oh? Are you implying that I am weak…?" I voiced out as Tenko shook her head.

"Uh, no, that wasn't what I was saying," Tenko explained.

"It's alright. I'll go and check up on him," I declared, annoyed at Tenko's choice of words.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Shirayuki," Rantaro smiled pleasantly as I stared at him.

"...You knew Tenko was going to react like that, which would have provoked me into completing your task, right? That's why you asked me to follow up on Kokichi's plans," I questioned, eyes narrowed.

Rantaro only kept on smiling, as if he was innocent. "Why, I have no idea what you're implying. Then again, you do seem to be the easily-provoked type."

I sweatdropped and shook my head lightly before turning around to walk out of the dining hall. Shutting the door quietly behind me, I sighed.

 _What a sly bastard Rantaro can be…_

* * *

 _*Knock Knock*_

"Hm? Is someone at my door again?" Kokichi pondered to himself.

Choosing to ignore the person in front of his door, he continued to scribble his thoughts onto the whiteboard. Unfortunately, the person refused to leave.

 _*Knock Knock Knock Knock*_

Eyes twitching in annoyance, Kokichi forced himself to shut out any noises from outside his door and started drawing arrows to connect the photos on his whiteboard.

 _ ***Bang***_

Kokichi jolted and yelped in surprise, dropping his whiteboard marker in the process.

"Did they just kick my door…?" Kokichi thought aloud as he sweatdropped.

 _ ***Bang Bang***_

At that point, Kokichi had a scary thought running through his head. He imagined Tenko outside his door, kicking it open without much effort with her aikido skills, which would mean he would have to sleep with his door open during the killing game.

Shuddering at the thought, Kokichi ran up to the door.

"For god sake, can't they leave a guy alone for even a minute?" Kokichi scowled as he opened the door. "Whoever you are, explain yourself in five seconds or I'm going to kill you— oh, hello there."

He was met face to face with the one and only Ultimate Figure Skater, who looked extremely pissed about something.

* * *

"Took you long enough," I pointed out as Kokichi smiled.

"What's wrong, Shiro-chan? You look superrrr scary right now!" Kokichi mentioned as he reached up and poked one of my cheeks.

I swatted his hand away and sighed. "Things have just taken a turn for the worse. It's not a surprise I'm all tensed up."

"Nishishi, true. Don't worry too much though, or you'll end up becoming an old granny sooner than you want to." Kokichi teased as he beckoned for me to enter his room.

Ignoring his comment, I took a glance into his room and immediately noticed the colors on the wall. "Huh? My room has the same color too…"

Kokichi raised his eyebrow. "Aren't they supposed to be all the same?"

I shrugged. "Mine's half blue and half purple."

"What?! That's so cool! Mine's just one color. What is this favoritism?!" Kokichi faked anger as he glared at me.

I rolled my eyes. "How am I supposed to know? Anyways, what's that in the corner of your room?" I pointed towards the huge whiteboard.

"Oh, I was writing out my opinions about everyone here. Care to come in and help me?" Kokichi asked.

"Uh, sure?" I replied, tone filled with hesitation and suspicion.

"Oh come on, I'm not going to do anything to you," Kokichi pouted. "Well maybe, but I won't harm you, I promise!"

 _...That really doesn't make me feel any better._

"...Fine, the others are curious about what you're up to, anyway," I answered and stepped into his room, shutting the door quietly behind me.

"Here, take a comfortable seat on my bed!" Kokichi pushed me towards his bed and I reluctantly took a seat.

"Uh, so what do you need my help with?" I asked, glancing at the whiteboard.

"Well, I'll just be asking you some questions about your impressions regarding everyone else here at this academy!" Kokichi declared.

"Why do you want to know about my opinions about everyone?" I tilted my head to the side in confusion.

Kokichi clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Don't question it. Maybe I just want to get to know everyone better, that's all. Didn't Kaede say we should become besties with each other? So I'm trying to make friends now, starting with you!"

I stared blankly at him. "That's some low-caliber bullshit right there."

"Come on, don't worry about it! I just really want to know what you think about everyone here so far. Besides, I trust your instincts," Kokichi replied a thoughtful look on his face himself. "Well, only a teeny tiny amount, though. But it'll be fine!"

"A teeny tiny amount…?" I sweatdropped. "That's not a lot."

"Yeah, but knowing me I trust people around negative infinity, so you're definitely special!" Kokichi proudly boasted as I sighed.

"Alright, alright, let's get this started already so I can go back to my room and sleep," I said as I shifted myself into a comfortable position on his bed.

"Okay~ Oh right, I forgot to tell you beforehand," Kokichi started as he stared at me, a sly smirk making its way up onto his face. "I'm not letting you leave until I'm done questioning you, okay?"

I gulped, feeling a sense of dread filling my stomach.

 _...What have I gotten myself into, now?_

* * *

"How are the poll results?" the man in black peered up at his secretary from his usual seat.

"I have the results right here," the secretary immediately handed over a piece of paper. She took a step back and stood still with her back straight, sweat rolling down her face in nervosity. "Please inform us when the decision has been made."

"Alright. You may now take your leave," the man barked out an order as the secretary hurriedly bowed and stumbled out of the room.

The man scoffed, watching the secretary leave the room in a panicked state. Sometimes, looking at her poor performance, he considered whether he should make a new series that included adults instead. Certainly, that would bring in high ratings.

After all, there was nothing that mankind hated than boredom.

From his experience, curiosity _always_ kills the cat.

He lifted the document up to eye-level and quickly scanned through the page. A small wry smirk made its way up onto his face as he found himself snickering in amusement. "Just as I thought."

Throwing the document down onto the table, he turned his attention towards the television screen in his room. He leaned his back onto his chair, crossing his legs together in a comfortable position. He stared in silence at a certain footage that was being broadcasted across the nation.

A boy with lime-green hair stood in front of the library with a determined look on his face.

He reached over his desk towards the phone and dialed a number. As soon as the other side of the line picked up, he spoke out an order.

"We're going with the poll results. The first two are who we're targetting. Inform her about it now."

A sudden rush of wind entered through the window, pushing the document off his desk. It fluttered away from the window, gently to the floor. The document was printed in clear black and bold letters.

 **Who Should be the First Target?**

1\. Rantaro Amami

2\. Kaede Akamatsu

3\. Shirayuki Aida

.

.

17\. Tsumugi Shirogane


	7. Chapter 6: To Each their Own

**A/N:** Hey guys! Since I have midterms coming up next week, I'm posting this chapter a little early since I'll probably be studying my ass off the entire weekend. This chapter is somewhat like an interlude, a chance for you guys to see what's going on in everyone's head.

A few more chapters left before 'shit goes down' :)))

* * *

 **[Chapter 6: To Each Their Own]**

"What do you think about Tenko?"

"Uh, she's fine…? She seems pretty strong though, so she could probably kill someone if she wanted to."

"What about Himeko-chan?"

"That girl can't kill even a bug, I swear."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Blue."

"How about Kaede-chan?"

"Nah, no way. She's genuinely innocent and way too angelic to be the mastermind."

"Do you like sweets?"

"Not really- wait a minute, what's with the questions since a while now?!"

For the past thirty minutes, Kokichi had been asking me random questions about every student in the academy. Although some of the questions were about me for some reason, Kokichi had been putting my opinion into consideration as he drew on his whiteboard.

"Well, I have to get to know you to fill in your section of the whiteboard, right?" Kokichi replied, humming as he continued to draw circles, crosses, and stars next to various names on the board. "Alright, getting closer now."

"Are we almost done?" I groaned, feeling tired at the bombardment of questions.

"Yep! Almost done," he replied in a cheery voice. "Now tell me, what do you think about Korekiyo?"

"Creepy, definitely a murderer, stay away from him at all cost," I bluntly answered without any hesitation.

Kokichi sweatdropped, laughing dryly to himself. "Wow, you must really hate him. Poor Korekiyo-chan."

"Trust me. You don't WANT to be near that guy. Something about him seriously sends shivers up my spine," I rubbed my arms unconsciously as Kokichi placed a huge X on top of Korekiyo's photo.

"Hm, okay. What about Tsumugi?" Kokichi asked next.

"...To be honest, I'm not so sure," I slowly said, voice filled with uncertainty.

Immediately, Kokichi perked up and smirked. "Oho? There's someone that Shiro-chan isn't sure about?"

I crossed my arms together and tilted my head up to look at the ceiling, pondering. "I really don't know. She's definitely a weird one. There's no doubt about her obsession with cosplaying and she doesn't seem strong at all. She doesn't look like a mastermind or a psychotic killer, but something about her is just...kind of...off?"

"Off? So it's just your instinct telling you to stay away from her?" Kokichi questioned for clarification.

"I guess you can say that. I don't think she's that dangerous, but she seems to be mysterious in her own way. I don't think you should trust her too much," I answered as Kokichi nodded.

"Okay then," Kokichi circled Tsumugi's photo and drew question marks around her profile. "Right, just one more to go!"

"If it's Rantaro, then I think you can trust him," I answered this time with no hesitation.

"...And why is that?" Kokichi's tone dropped as my eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

 _Why is he so hostile all of a sudden…?_

"He's one of the students that I've talked to the most. I know he's hiding something, but it most likely isn't anything harmful to us. Besides, he told me about the presence of a mastermind within our group, so that decreases the chances of him being our enemy," I explained.

"Hm? A mastermind in our group? That's news to me. Maybe he planted that idea in your mind to make you suspicious of the others on purpose. Doesn't that make him pretty fishy?" Kokichi argued.

"Quit it with the lies, Kokichi. You and I both know there is a mastermind hidden in our group," I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. "Otherwise, why would you be interrogating me right now?

Kokichi only tilted his head in an innocent manner. "Nope, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Monokuma is a robot. Someone here has to be controlling him," I added to my argument.

"They could control him by using a wireless remote or something," Kokichi claimed.

I shook my head. "If they really used that method, then why have the hidden door? There's no need to have a hidden door behind a bookshelf if no one is going to be using it."

"It could just be a place for Monokuma to recharge himself," Kokichi insisted.

"What, like charging his batteries? We all know Monokuma's a robot. He can just recharge himself in any electrical plug in the school and no one would question it," I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"What if the mastermind is using our reasoning and logic against us by setting up a psychological trap? Like what Rantaro is doing with you, making you lower your guard," Kokichi argued.

"Then we're all just frickin' screwed," I replied and threw my hands into the air in exasperation with a sigh. "Why are you insisting so badly that Rantaro is someone we shouldn't trust?"

"Something about him is pretty off and I think it's fairly obvious," Kokichi voiced out his opinion, face devoid of any emotion.

"I can see where you're coming from, but I swear to god that guy's innocent. The fact that he's so obviously suspicious with his supposed amnesia and calm attitude towards everything that has transpired here makes him ironically not suspicious. We can rule him out from being the mastermind. He stands out way too much," I reasoned.

"I still think we shouldn't trust him," Kokichi stubbornly refused to agree with me.

I facepalmed, sighing heavily again as I plopped my back onto the bed's mattress, lying down comfortably. "Okay, whatever. If you think so, just write that on your stupid board."

"Aw, have patience with me, Shiro-chan," he pouted as he drew a gazillion circles all over Rantaro's picture.

"Geez, do you have a grudge against him or something?" I winced as he roughly treated Rantaro's portrait.

"Not really. I just don't really like him for some reason," Kokichi replied, refusing to elaborate his feelings further.

"...Uh, right. So, can I go now?" I asked once again, eyes flickering towards the exit with hope in my eyes.

"Nope," he bluntly said as I choked on thin air.

"W-What? Why? Aren't we done?" I fumbled over my own words in confusion and anxiety.

Kokichi wagged his index finger in front of me and clicked his tongue. "Did you forget what I told you earlier? You're not leaving this room until you give me all the answers that I want."

"But I told you everything that I knew about the students here," I protested.

"Yeah, but I never told you I'd only be asking you questions about everyone else. You just went and assumed that yourself," Kokichi grinned as I gaped.

"Really, now? You're going to pull that psychological loophole on me?!" I yelled as he laughed.

"Nishishi, you're surprisingly gullible at times too," Kokichi beamed. "But that's also why I worry so much about you."

"Wha- why would you worry about me so much?" I questioned.

"Because you're my secret weapon, duh," Kokichi abruptly confessed, much to my bewilderment.

"Secret weapon? What are you even on about?" my mind was in a huge turmoil as I tried to analyze his words.

 _What the hell is this crazy bastard talking about now…?_

"Well, while you were busy flirting around with Rantaro, I've been talking to everyone else!" Kokichi's accusing words made me do a double-take.

"Excuse me? Flirting? Nothing of that sort was done!" I argued, mentally gagging at the thought.

"It seemed that way to me," Kokichi crossed his arms behind his head in a nonchalant manner. "Anyways, I was trying to find myself a trustworthy ally." Then, his expression became crestfallen as he stared down at the floor in disappointment. "But I found no one worthy enough..."

"Shuichi's the Ultimate Detective, right? Why not start with him?" I suggested.

Kokichi shook his head. "I did. He would have been an excellent choice, but that Kaede brainwashed him with her naivety."

I sweatdropped. "Uh, what?"

"Although Shuichi is probably an excellent detective, he's kind of too emotional," Kokichi pondered. "If only he could use just his sharp logic to make deductions without any emotions interfering with his judgment, I'd definitely get him on my side first."

"Well, not everyone is a heartless bastard like you," I rolled my eyes, much to Kokichi's chagrin.

"Wow, you really know how to hit where it hurts," Kokichi winced, although I had no way of knowing whether it was genuine or not.

"Right, you did mention last time that my words hurt you..." I trailed off, intuitively knowing that this topic was one to be avoided.

"...Do you want to know what I meant by that?" Kokichi threw the whiteboard marker across the room. I watched as the marker landed onto his desk with pin-point precision. He then strolled across the room and plopped himself down onto his bed, sitting next to me.

"You're just going to lie through your teeth about it though," I accused, turning my head around to look at him. "I'm already having trouble identifying the mastermind behind this whole jig. I don't think I want you messing around with my head any further."

"Nishishi, but I've never lied while being around you! You can take everything I've said at face value," Kokichi exclaimed, a mischievous smile on his face.

I deadpanned, staring blankly at him. "Even a kindergarten student can see that you're lying again."

"But you never know~ maybe I could be telling the truth on purpose _because_ I know you're going to think it's a lie," Kokichi's smile contorted into a challenging grin. "Which means, you'll never be able to read me accurately~"

"Is that a challenge I hear?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Nishishi, you're welcome to try, but I don't think anyone in the world can truly see through me," Kokichi hummed a cheery tune as he waggled his fingers in the air. "Perhaps you'll end up being the first one to succeed!"

"You did mention that I was capable of seeing through you...though I have no idea what you mean by that," I frowned. "I still have no idea what you're thinking most of the time."

"That's just because you can't trust your own gut feelings," Kokichi scoffed.

"But isn't that the point if lying, to begin with? To borrow your words, it's a psychological game, right? You mix in the lies with the truth, so that in the end, no one can ever determine when you're telling the truth," I grimaced. "That's why it's so annoying to be around you. Seriously, you give me a brain tumor."

"Well, everyone here sort of hates me anyway," Kokichi shrugged in a completely nonchalant manner, despite how harsh his words were. "That's why I'm hanging around with you more than the others!"

"Who said I didn't hate you?" I looked at him with disdain. "You're an annoying gremlin and I think I've made that clear on many occasions already."

"Nishishi...then may I ask, why on earth are you here right now in my room, conversing with me as if we were best buddies?" Kokichi had a sly look on his face as he uttered his words. "I don't think someone who truly hates me would be willing to enter my room, all alone, completely defenseless and unguarded like this."

There was no way I could answer his question because I myself had no idea why I was with him at the moment. I was being completely truthful when I said that he annoyed me. In fact, the word 'annoyed' was probably an understatement. There were no words to describe how much his actions and words ticked me in the wrong way. To be quite frank, it was exhausting to play along with his 'lying game'.

Being alongside him gave me nothing but a piercing headache. He was a mystery - a complete enigma, much to my chagrin. It was impossible to completely understand him. He himself was the epitome of a lie.

Not to mention, he acted like a pretentious brat who did nothing but cause trouble for others. He was a prankster, a teaser - everything that was infuriating...

...And yet I was here, agreeing to his demands as I told him everything I knew about the other students.

"...I hate you," I muttered out, though my words lacked the bitterness needed for it to come off as genuine hatred. "You are quite the handful and that's the undeniable truth."

"Meh, I'm well aware of that," Kokichi continued to smile like normal. "Thanks for the brutally honest input~ I like it when people are being honest to me, since I hate being lied to the most."

"That's so ironic, considering how you're the one who lies to others the most," I pointed out with a knowing look.

"That's also true," Kokichi agreed without much thought.

"It's good that you're aware of how much of a dickhead you can be," I scoffed.

"Ouch, that was slightly too brutally honest, Shiro-chan. My heart hurts," Kokichi frowned, feigning hurt as he clasped his chest dramatically.

"...You're seriously annoying and you're anything but nice to be around," I started, feeling Kokichi's patient gaze on me. I looked him right in the eye, choosing my next words carefully. "But...I think...I can tolerate you, at least more than normalcy dictates."

It was painfully obvious that my words came as a huge surprise to Kokichi. Although he feigned ignorance, his facade was poorly kept. It was clear from the way his eyes bulged while his mouth hung slightly open in a flabbergasted manner that my words had caught him completely off-guard.

"Y-You are so weird, Shiro-chan," Kokichi fumbled over his own words for the first time in his life, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. "But maybe that's why I like being around you so much."

"...That better not be a lie," I glared at him.

"Nishishi," Kokichi's signature laugh returned. "I was actually being honest for once, but it's sooooo like you to overthink it. I wasn't lying, I swear."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You know, maybe if you were more honest with yourself, I wouldn't have so much trouble understanding you. And everyone else wouldn't be avoiding you so much."

His eyes twitched, a wry chuckle escaping his lips. For a split second, there was something purely vulnerable and innocent about him, but the weight of my words seemed to linger between us like a smothering brick wall, as he immediately hardened his facade. "If I did that, then I wouldn't be myself anymore, you know?"

"I mean, I guess so, but people can change for the better, you know?" I spoke out absentmindedly as I listened to his words.

"...I see. So you _do_ think that compulsive lying is a nuisance," Kokichi's voice was emotionless as he spoke monotonically.

"I thought you were very well aware of that," I raised an eyebrow at his sudden change in attitude.

"Why do you hate lies so much?" Kokichi suddenly asked, his eyes staring directly into mine. It was clear from the tone of his voice that he was, for once, being genuinely curious about the answer to his own question. "There are endless possibilities for lies. And some of them are lies that were created to _benefit_ others. So why are you against me lying so much?"

"Kokichi, let me rephrase my words a bit," my voice lowered to a softer or more gentle tone. It was a rare moment of intimacy between us and I knew better than to destroy it with careless words. "I'm not saying that lying in and of itself is bad. What I mean is, it's bad for _you_ to be lying so much."

"What do you mean by that?" Kokichi had a strained, pained smile on his face.

I stared knowingly at him. "...Do you _really_ not know?"

"...Nishi..shi," Kokichi's signature laugh sounded somewhat broken as he chewed over a proper lie. "I have no idea what you mean~"

I sighed, knowing that he was lying his way out of being honest again. "Alright. Let's end our conversation here for today, then." I stood up from my seat, much to Kokichi's confusion. "I'm not going to force you to change yourself immediately. It's your own choice, but seriously, you look tired as shit sometimes. Go take a rest."

Kokichi's eyes widened again as he stared at me in both awe and appreciation. Whether it was genuine or not, I had no way of knowing...

But then again, that's what Kokichi was all about, huh?

"Shiro-chan," I was halfway out the door when he said my name. I spun my head around.

"...Let's talk again later~" Kokichi's grin was the widest I had seen yet during my stay at the Ultimate Academy.

"...Sure."

* * *

"Phew, that was quite tiring," Kokichi muttered to himself as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the sleeves of his jacket.

"Shiro-chan is so funny sometimes. If I really annoy her, she could have just ignored me like everyone else did," Kokichi mused as he hummed a cheery tune. "And yet she agreed to help me. What a weirdo. Not to mention..."

His mind traveled to Shirayuki's words during their conversation.

He roughly shook his head, slapping his hands onto his cheeks in an attempt to snap himself out of a daze.

No. He wasn't going to think about her words now.

As much as he confused her, her attitude towards him _also_ confused him.

And thinking about her now would only mess his plan up.

He grabbed a bottle of water and laid down comfortably onto the mattress, arms folded behind his head. He stared at the whiteboard in a thoughtful manner. "Shiro-chan's opinion really saved me quite some time," Kokichi muttered with a small smile on his face.

Although he had his own suspicions about a few of the students, Shirayuki's opinion reinforced his train of thought.

"Hm...the more dangerous ones of the group are Angie, Korekiyo, Maki, and Tsumugi," Kokichi counted with his fingers. "Oh right, I almost forgot Rantaro."

Kokichi had to admit that Shirayuki's argument regarding Rantaro's innocence was well-organized and valid. Nevertheless, Kokichi had already decided from the beginning, even before talking to Shirayuki, that Rantaro was not someone he could trust.

For some unknown reason, he felt like Rantaro was withholding extremely crucial information from everyone else. Although there was nothing wrong with that in the beginning stages of this 'game', Kokichi's instincts told him that Rantaro's information could end up destroying all of his plans or future plans.

Besides, he was the Ultimate Supreme Leader. He simply loathed the fact that somebody held information above his knowledge.

"Oh well, we can figure out how to get that information out of him later…" Kokichi then jumped out of bed and walked over to the whiteboard, a sly smirk on his face. "Since it seems like she'll be loosening his guard up, anyway."

He picked up Rantaro, Shirayuki, and Shuichi's photos and grouped them together on the right side of his board. Then, he drew a large circle around them. To Kokichi, these three were key players for him to survive the killing game. All three of them had similar levels of intelligence and perceptiveness.

Although Shuichi was a little on the slow and clumsy side, he was probably an excellent detective, judging from how his eyes shone with such brilliance despite his timid demeanor.

Even if he disliked Rantaro for some unknown reason, he had to admit that Rantaro's cool-headed logical reasoning would be useful, later on in the game.

He smoothed a finger over Shirayuki's photo, contemplating.

Shirayuki, on the other hand, was much easier to understand than the other two. She had nothing to hide, despite her overly cautious attitude at times. Although she was also bright and smart like the other two, she had her own strength that outshined the other two.

She caught on to minuscule details and dug her claws into them in a way most people would never be capable of. The evidence being the fact that she could easily see through his lies and had the _nerve_ to subtly confront him about it many times, like before they headed down the manhole for example.

However, to Kokichi, that was a double-edged sword.

Although he could use her to delve information out of the others, he risked being "seen" through as well, which would end up spelling trouble for him if he was ever forced into a situation where he needed to act secretly in solitude

Knowing her, if he didn't put up a convincing act worthy of an Oscar award, she would probably see through it all.

Sometimes, with the thought quite amusing, Kokichi wished he was the Ultimate Actor instead.

Sighing, Kokichi drew a large star over her photo. "Let's just hope that it never comes to that," Kokichi frowned. "If possible, I hope none of my plans have to come into action."

Of course, the best-case scenario was that no one would commit murder and the game would be canceled somehow. But a sense of dread was pooling in Kokichi's stomach since the chance of it all ending so peacefully was so terribly slim.

"Oh well…" Kokichi dropped his marker and stepped back to take a look at his work.

A somewhat dark and sinister expression made its way onto his face.

"For now, I'll be relying on you, Shiro-chan~"

He was the Ultimate Supreme Leader. Using people for his own personal benefit was his forte. Such an evil act was nothing to him.

He would use whatever means possible to end the game and survive…

 _...even if he had to lie to himself and his feelings to do so._

* * *

"The dust is gone!" Kaede exclaimed a hand clasped over her mouth in astonishment.

"That's right. I checked it right after nighttime started yesterday and it was still there," Shuichi started. "This morning, the dust was gone."

"So that means somebody must have used this door last night, huh?" Kaede pondered out loud, walking towards the door, peering curiously at the card reader. "Wow, it really has been cleaned."

Shuichi nodded. "All traces of dust disappeared. Perhaps the mastermind had to enter this room to revive Monokuma."

Kaede froze at Shuichi's words. "What...are you trying to say?"

"Monokuma mentioned yesterday that every student forced to participate in this killing game will die if the time limit runs out," Shuichi explained as he paced around the library, a thoughtful look on his face. "Why did he have to stress that only the forced students will die? Why not just say that everyone will die?"

"You can't possibly mean..." Kaede's face paled as she took a step backward in sheer horror.

Shuichi clenched his fists, biting his lip in anxiety. "It's one of us...one of us is the mastermind behind all of this."

Kaede almost fainted right then and there if she didn't fall back against the bookshelf as her legs gave way. Shuichi was immediately by her side, kneeling down in front of Kaede who was breathing heavily in a panic on the floor.

"Kaede, listen to me," Shuichi quickly explained as he lightly grabbed Kaede's shoulders, stopping her from hyperventilating. "This is all just my own conjecture. It's only my deduction."

"I know, Shuichi," Kaede started and let loose a shaky sigh. "But if it's your deduction, then I know it's not too off the mark."

Shuichi was dumbfounded at her answer. It was not what he expected in a million years. "Uh, Kaede? I'm only an apprentice detective. My words and logic don't have that much credibility."

"That's not the point, Shuichi," Kaede retorted, pointing a finger at Shuichi's face. "If someone has the upper hand in this despairing situation, it's you."

Shuichi clenched his fists, eyes flickering down to the floor in habit. The dim lights in the library cast a dark shadow over his featured. "But Kaede, my talent doesn't necessarily help anyone. In a sense, it's only useful _after_ something horrible has occurred. I'm always too late to help. Besides..."

Shuichi shuddered as he remembered the piercing glares of the criminals he'd caught. Their eyes shone with pure hatred and bitterness, overwhelming him with their raw anger. The look of betrayal that they gave him was so vivid in Shuichi's memories that they continued to haunt him, causing him an endless cycle of nightmares.

"It's not always right to reveal the truth. I've hurt many with my deductions and I don't deserve the recognition or respect you're giving me," Shuichi's voice was reduced to a whisper as he felt himself tear up, body visibly shaking.

Kaede immediately snapped her head up and glared at Shuichi, her fragile self that was overwhelmed with fear completely disappearing without a trace. "Shuichi, you're the Ultimate Detective. Have more confidence in yourself, please. If not for yourself, then for all of us. For me. We need your strength."

Shuichi's heart skipped a beat as he felt himself blushing against his own will. He glanced up at Kaede, completely dazed as her words sank deep into his mind. "Y-You think my talent is needed...?"

Kaede nodded and raised her hands up to cup Shuichi's face. Her smile was serene, peaceful, and genuine. "There's no one who isn't needed in this world, Shuichi. Regardless of what your talent is, you're still an undeniably important existence in this world. Please, don't forget that."

For the first time in his life, Shuichi thought he would be okay with accepting death, right then and there. Even though they all had been thrown into this horrible killing game, he wasn't panicking like he thought he would. If it was the him from before, he would be cowering in fear, hiding in the closets, running away from the harsh reality in front of him.

But for once, he wasn't alone.

Kaede was there for him.

Her hands felt warm and gentle, lying there on his cheeks. He closed his eyes, unconsciously leaning his cheeks into their grasp. Kaede didn't let him go, allowing him to indulge in the warmth and kindness that radiated from her touch.

With a shaky sigh of his own, he quietly uttered a small word of gratitude, smiling from the bottom of his heart.

At the endearing sight, Kaede felt her heart dance in a lovely tune.

She pulled Shuichi into a hug and rubbed his back in a soothing motion.

"Everything will be fine, Shuichi," she whispered, her eyes closing. "It'll all be fine in the end."

* * *

 _"Anyone who finds out who you are is going to come for you. So watch your back. Trust no one. And remember...you both wanted this killing game. So you have to win. No matter what."_

Rantaro replayed the video for the hundredth time that day.

He was sitting in the chair in his room, a pile of papers strewn over his desk. Twirling the pencil around in circles with one hand, Rantaro grabbed a fistful of his hair with the other, groaning.

No matter how many times he watched the video, he had no idea what he was supposed to believe.

He wanted the killing game? That's impossible. What reason would he have to participate in a game as horrifying as this again? Was he forced against his will? But then why did he seem so calm in that video? Or...more importantly...was that truly him in the video? Could it be someone else in disguise?

There was no point in thinking about it when there were too many unknown factors beyond his knowledge.

 _Trust no one. Trust no one. Trust no one._

The first time he watched the video, he chanted that phrase countless times to himself as if it were a mantra. He behaved himself according to how the 'him' in the video wanted him to. He distanced himself from everyone and would never engage in a conversation unless being approached first.

However, that plan went to ashes when Shirayuki walked up to him.

Although she was cautious herself, for some reason, she sought him out. Perhaps it was due to the...dejavu she felt when they first met. Perhaps she trusted that instinct of hers to tell her that Rantaro was a safe pick for an ally.

At the least, for him, it _was_.

Even though the Rantaro from the video repeatedly told him to trust no one, he couldn't help but remember a peculiar line that made him realize a significant fact.

The Rantaro from the video said that 'both' wanted the killing game. Maybe it was an unintentional slip-up, he didn't know, but that phrase suggested that someone else may have also received the same video as him.

Someone else was the other survivor of the last killing game.

Although there was no concrete proof of this, when Shirayuki came up to talk to him, he decided to test her. After all, it was never too late to start observing the students carefully. He needed to find a clue to the mastermind's true identity and sitting there doing nothing wasn't going to help his situation.

Rantaro lied about trusting her, to gauge her reaction. To his surprise, she caught on to his slip-up and brought up the existence of the mastermind within their ranks. Not to mention, she had the nerve to show him to the hidden door.

 _Trust no one. Trust no one._

In all honesty, the fact that she showed him the hidden door meant two things: either she was also a survivor with the same perk as him or she was the mastermind trying to trick him into letting down his guard.

Or perhaps it was all just a coincidence and she found the door purely by chance and was naive enough to tell someone else about it.

 _Trust no one._

 _Trust no one._

 _Trust no on— oh screw it all._

He was going to trust her. Of course, not all the way, but at least, he was going to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Besides, isn't that why his previous self failed to leave the killing game?

Though the Rantaro from the video talked as if he were the winner of the previous game, who then got the survivor's advantages, the Rantaro of the present saw nothing but a large sham. He didn't win the previous game. No, he didn't win it at all. In fact, he made a huge mistake and lost _big_ time, which was why he was stuck again in this sticky situation.

And maybe that was because he was too untrusting. Perhaps that was his— no, _their_ downfall.

Whoever that other survivor was, Rantaro prayed with all his heart that they knew what they were doing...because now, he was going to do the illogical and actually trust someone in the killing game.

And if by any chance he made a mistake in doing so, he will gladly take the fall. As long as that other survivor was there, he could take risks without losing hope. And if by any chance Shirayuki was the other survivor, he would never let harm enter her way...

and he knew _exactly_ what he had to do to accomplish that.


	8. Chapter 7: The Hour Before Dawn

**A/N:** Wah, I'm a day late this time. Sorry! Just finished all of my midterms. Thanks for the new favs and follows! Happy Chinese New Year! Next chapter is when things go down... :))) so I wish you a happy week before then :P

* * *

 **[Chapter 7: The Hour Before Dawn]**

"God, I look terrible," I winced as I stared at my own reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Yesterday's talk with Kokichi gave me a sleepless night, much to my dismay. Combined with all of the stress that had been bubbling up inside of me, it was no surprise that my complexion had taken a turn for the worse; dark bags were hanging underneath my eyes.

Knowing that there was nothing I could do to salvage my dull appearance, I spun around and exited the girl's bathroom on the first floor, making my way to the dining hall.

It was around 9:00 a.m. in the morning, meaning that I had missed breakfast with everyone else. Hopefully, no one made such a huge deal about my absence. Feeling my stomach rumble, I placed my hand on the handle of the dining hall's door and opened it…

Only to witness a very intriguing scene.

Both Shuichi and Kaede were on their knees, bowing down so that their forehead touched the ground. Miu stood in front of them, clearly taken aback by their actions.

Without a word or greeting, I closed the door as quietly as I could, feeling like I had intruded on something personal.

 _What the heck were they doing…?_

"Who's there?" a voice bellowed out from inside the dining hall as I jumped in surprise.

 _Oh crap, did they see me?_

I immediately swung open the door again and stepped in. Kaede and Shuichi were no longer prostrating themselves on the ground. Miu also silently went back to eating her breakfast.

I raised both my hands up in the air, showing my innocence. "It's me."

Kaede just sighed in relief and smiled at my entrance. "Good morning, Shirayuki. Where were you earlier?"

"Ah, sorry about missing breakfast," I grimaced. "I didn't really sleep well last night so I ended up rolling around in bed longer than I expected."

Kaede chuckled at my response. "I think we can all sympathize with that. We were just worried about you, that's all!"

From behind Kaede, I could see Shuichi staring at me with suspicion in his eyes. I ignored his dissecting vision and gave my full attention to Kaede.

"So what on earth are you guys up to? That wasn't a scene I expected to be walking into," I added a small laugh at the end of my sentence, hoping to appear less suspicious and more playful.

"Oh, we just wanted Miu to fix these cameras for us!" Kaede pointed to the three cameras that were lying on the dining table. "I wanted to take some pictures of this place."

"You wanted to take photos of this...uh...jail?" I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion. "But why?"

"Oh, uh, I just have a side hobby of taking photos," Kaede slightly stumbled over her own words.

"Hmmm, I see," I trailed off, eyes shifting towards Shuichi. Even from a distance away, I could see that he was sweating bullets, chewing on his fingernails as if he were nervous about something.

 _These two are definitely up to something…_

"Well, I'm going to find something to eat now," I smiled and waved before heading towards the pantry. "Have fun taking photos."

"Thanks!" Kaede cheerfully exclaimed before she turned back to Shuichi.

Although I tried to listen to their conversation from inside the pantry, I could only make out a few words, which unfortunately were incomprehensible when connected together. Giving up on my attempt at eavesdropping, I reached up towards the cupboard and pulled out two apples.

 _Guess this will do for breakfast…_

By the time I stepped out of the pantry, Kaede, Shuichi, and Miu were gone. Instead, Rantaro was sitting on top of the dining table, munching on a chocolate bar as he stared up at the ceiling, absentminded.

I walked over to him, munching on one of the apples in my hands. Hearing my footsteps, he turned to look in my direction.

"Yo, what's up?" I greeted, standing in front of him.

"Just thinking about things," Rantaro replied, taking another bite out of the chocolate bar in his hands.

Staring at the object in his hands, I could not resist asking. "Where did you get that? I was just in the pantry and I didn't see anything like a chocolate bar in there."

"Hm? Oh, this came out of the MonoMono machine," he replied nonchalantly, words muffled from the chocolate in his mouth.

"Wait, what? The MonoMono machine? What the hell is that?" I jerked my head back in distaste at the naming sense.

He raised a curious eyebrow. "You haven't visited the school store yet? There's a machine in there where you can insert coins into and it'll give you a random prize."

"Nah, I didn't go in there yet," I threw the core of the first apple into the trashcan nearby and started munching on the second one. "Where'd you find the coins?"

"They're hidden in the desks or chairs that you find in the classroom," Rantaro finished the chocolate bar and threw the aluminum foil wrapping into the trashcan as well. "Surprisingly, they're easy to find. Just reach underneath the desk and a few are taped there."

"Huh, that's suspiciously convenient," I bluntly stated as I chewed.

Rantaro just shrugged. "Maybe Monokuma's trying to entertain us in a different way."

I rolled my eyes, finding his statement somewhat funny. "Right, as if. He only wants to see us kill each other."

"Fair point," Rantaro slid off the dining table. "What do you think about everyone here, so far?"

Feeling a sense of dejavu, I couldn't help but frown. "You're asking me about my opinion on everyone else?"

"It would help me a great deal to have your insights as well," Rantaro clarified.

I threw the second core of the apple into the trashcan and turned to him. "Kokichi just asked me the same question yesterday."

Rantaro seemed to be taken aback as his eyes widened. "Really? What a coincidence."

I stared blankly at him. "Why do I feel like you're not surprised at all?"

Rantaro only smiled. "My, how cautious you've become. I only know that you two have been talking quite a lot."

"Well, it's hard not to be suspicious of everyone and everything in this situation," I stretched my arms out above my head. "Tsumugi, Korekiyo, Angie, and Maki."

"I do agree with the last three, but Tsumugi? That's a surprise to me," Rantaro muttered as he crossed his arms in a thoughtful manner. "Why would you say that she's dangerous?"

"Honestly, it's my instinct," I replied with a sigh. "There's no evidence whatsoever, but something about her just seems...weird."

Rantaro stared at me with a judgmental look on his face. "And Miu isn't weird in your opinion?"

I facepalmed, groaning.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Tsumugi has this mysterious aura to her...kind of like you and Kokichi, actually. It feels like she's hiding something. Her smile makes me feel uncomfortable." I rubbed my arms unconsciously.

"Hm, I see."

Rantaro seemed to be thinking hard about something for a while before a small smirk made its way up onto his face. "I see you don't consider me or Kokichi a potential threat."

I scoffed. "For now, yes. We'll see about that tomorrow."

We had only one more day left before the deadline came. If all things went well, nobody would die tomorrow evening. However, chances are, things won't be ending so peacefully.

"Speaking about tomorrow, will you meet me here in the dining hall about an hour before the designated time?" Rantaro suddenly asked, much to my confusion.

"Uh, sure…? But why just one hour before the deadline?" I questioned.

"I have plans to end the game," Rantaro confessed as I immediately gasped, choking on thin air.

"W-WHAT?! You have a way to end the game?!" I screamed, partially in surprise and partially in excitement.

Rantaro immediately placed his index finger on his lips, motioning for me to lower my volume. I slapped a hand over my mouth and nodded furiously in understanding.

 _A way to end the game…? Hell yeah, I want to know more about this!_

"I do, but I will tell you about it tomorrow. I'll need your help, after all," Rantaro answered with a smile.

However, in contrast to his enthusiasm, my previous excitement immediately dissipated into thin air.

"...Why do I have to wait until tomorrow to hear this plan of yours?" I quietly asked, sensing that I would not like his answer at all.

Rantaro's winsome smile faltered for a split second. "I'm not entirely confident this plan is going to end well, which is why I will be doing more research on my own today. Once I'm prepared, I will come and get you in the dining hall tomorrow."

"...Alright," I replied after much deliberation. "I will be waiting for you in the dining hall tomorrow, then."

Sensing that our conversation was coming to an end, I turned around and walked towards the dining room door. "See you tomorrow evening then, I guess," I said before taking a step out of the dining hall.

"Promise me one thing," Rantaro suddenly added. I spun around to face him and waited for him to finish his sentence.

"Yes?"

"...Stay there in the dining hall until I come and get you, alright?" Rantaro's voice became soft and quiet. It almost seemed like he was pleading me to stay in the dining hall tomorrow.

I had no idea why he felt the need to remind me to stay in the dining hall tomorrow evening. However, even an idiot could see that Rantaro was hiding something from me, once again. And at that moment, I decided my course of actions for tomorrow.

There was no way in hell I was going to sit tight in that dining hall.

If he doesn't show up as soon as the clock strikes one hour before the designated time, I'll leave to find him.

"Sure, I promise to stay here waiting for you," I lied right through my teeth.

He looked at me with disbelief for a while, until he sighed in resignation.

"Alright. See you tomorrow evening."

I shut the door, my heart feeling more heavier than ever.

* * *

Ryoma was going to tell them all tomorrow; there was no other choice.

The time limit was creeping up on them fast and there was nothing they could do to stop it. If they couldn't find an escape route, which probably never existed in the first place, then he would have to be the one to do it.

He would take it for the team.

He'd offer his life to them.

They would probably think that he was kidding. Perhaps they'd even scold him for throwing away his life so easily like that. Maybe someone would punch some sense into him. A small part of him wanted to believe that he was just joking, but he knew himself way too well for that fleeting dream to be true.

There was nothing worth living for - at least in the present.

His parents no longer lived in the same world as he did. The love of his life was gone, wandering alone for eternity in the realms of the dead. Who knows where his cat was? Maybe his friend wasn't taking good care of it. He really hoped that wasn't the case.

Everything was just so...tiring.

The world seemed bleak, dull, and colorless. The sound of the crowd screaming his name, cheering for his victory used to make him beam with joy. Now, remembering those halcyon days only made his heart ache, so painfully that he felt like a knife was being thrust inside of him. Her smile was his everything and even that was taken away from him...

And it was all because of this stupid sport.

If only he wasn't a tennis player...if only he didn't agree to play in that underground tournament...if only he didn't kill them all-

No, that wasn't true. The only thing he never regretted was killing all of those filthy pigs for ruining their life. Serves them right for gambling with peoples' lives like that.

He could never go back to playing tennis ever again. Not with these sinful, blood-tainted hands of his.

He wished someone would end all of his suffering for him.

Life just wasn't worth living anymore, but at least, if this small life of his could help someone...

 _then he'd gladly do it with no hesitation._

* * *

"Hm...where is it...oh here it is!" I slid my hand out of the desk and looked at the small coin in my hands.

 _So this is the Monokuma coin…_

I dropped the coin into my skirt's pocket and exited the classroom on the second floor, jogging down the stairs. I spent an hour walking in all the classrooms, searching for the coins that Rantaro mentioned. By afternoon, I had already picked up thirty Monokuma coins.

Realizing that my pocket was growing too heavy, I decided to head towards the school store and try out the MonoMono Machine with a few of my coins.

Making my way into the school store, I spotted a black and white machine on top of the countertop. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out five coins and spun the machine five times. Each time, the machine dropped out a different item.

I took a moment to analyze the objects that I received. I had a can of grape flavored Panta, a strawberry shortcake, a toy laser gun, a bottle of olive oil, and handcuffs.

I sweatdropped as I quietly slid the objects into a small paper bag I found in the kitchen earlier.

Although food items were always welcomed, I had no idea what to do with the laser gun and the handcuffs.

I left the school store feeling even more confused than before.

 _Why on earth did Monokuma install a machine like this…?_

I ruffled the strands of my hair in frustration, glancing out the windows as I walked down the hallway. The fiery red orb was now sinking halfway beneath the horizon, dying the skies a mixture of orange, red, and blue.

Seeing that the sun was about to set from the window panes, I picked up my pace and briskly made my way back to the dorms. As I left the school building, I saw a familiar figure pacing back and forth restlessly in front of the large bench.

"Hm? Is that Shuichi?" I mumbled to myself as I stepped closer towards the dorm.

Hearing my footsteps, Shuichi immediately looked up. Slightly surprised by my entrance, Shuichi frantically fixed the hat on top of his head and smoothed out the creases in his outfit.

I mentally facepalmed at his nervous actions.

"Uh, there's no need to get all anxious around me. I don't bite," I then reached into my bag and pulled out the strawberry shortcake. "Want one?" I offered.

Shuichi looked at the cake in my hand and lightly shook his head. "No thanks. I'm not a huge sweets fan."

I grumbled. "Me neither. I was hoping someone would take this thing off my hands."

"Did you get that from the MonoMono machine?" Shuichi asked.

I immediately snapped my head towards him and gaped. "Wait, am I the only person who had no idea about this machine until earlier today?!"

Shuichi chuckled in a restrained and polite manner. "No, I think the others just found it by pure chance when they searched the building."

"Damn it, maybe I should have searched the school building more thoroughly," I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. "I only searched the second floor and the library. Maybe I should have looked around the first floor too."

At my words, Shuichi suddenly straightened his posture, eying me with a look of distrust.

"...You searched the library, you say?" he spoke slowly, narrowing his eyes.

I tilted my head to the side, scrunching up my eyebrows. "Erm, yes I did? Is something the matter?"

Shuichi refused to answer. He glanced off to the side, lifting his left hand up. He started chewing on this fingernails, sweat rolling down his face. I stared at him as he contemplated in silence. A slightly tense air permeated around us as we stood there, still as statues, the wind blowing gently around our profiles.

I jolted imperceptibly as realization shot through me like an arrow.

 _Does he...know about that hidden door? Is that why he's so nervous now? Because he thinks I'm the mastermind?_

"Hey, Shuichi," I broke the silence as he jumped in surprise. He turned his attention back towards me.

"Oh, s-sorry. I was just...blanking out for a bit," Shuichi stiffly laughed.

I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I just want to ask you something..." I trailed off as I clenched my fists, pricking my own skin with my fingernails.

 _Can I trust him? Is he...the mastermind?_

Fidgeting with my fingers, I glanced all over the place. I turned my head around to look behind me, just in case there were other students hiding around. Seeing that we were the only two in the area, I sighed in relief.

I remembered back to my conversation with Kokichi.

 _From our observations, he's probably not the mastermind..._

Shuichi was looking at me with confusion in his eyes as he watched me take a deep breath. I exhaled slowly, picking up my courage. I clenched my fists harder, snapping my head up to stare directly at his eyes.

 _Right...time to test my theory...!_

"Shuichi, whatever that thought running through your mind is, it's probably right on the mark," I took a brave step forward, feigning indifference. "I'm not who you think I am," I caught my bottom lip between my teeth, chewing over a lie.

At my cryptic remark, Shuichi sputtered, choking on thin air. I watched as his eyes widened, face contorting into an expression that was a mixture of both fear and disbelief. His features paled as he stumbled backward, shaking his head from side to side in complete denial.

"Y-You...T-Then you must be the master-" Shuichi gasped as he immediately clasped both his hands over his mouth, realizing his slip-up. His legs started to tremble as fear overtook him.

Despite the tension in the air, I mentally cheered after watching his reaction.

 _This guy...he's definitely NOT the mastermind. HELL YES!_

I felt myself start to smile against my own will. I took a step forward, excitement rushing through me. Reaching over to grab his shoulders to prevent him from running away, I pulled him in closer. He let out a squeak as he continued to shiver in horror.

I sweatdropped.

 _Now I'm starting to feel bad for tricking him..._

"Sorry about that, Shuichi. I was just joking," I started, an apologetic look on my face.

"H-Huh?" Shuichi's eyes widened even further from shock and confusion. "W-What do you mean?"

"Shuichi, you're aware of the hidden door in the library, right?" I blurted out, voice no longer shivering from anxiety.

"...HUH?" the volume of his voice turned up a notch as he gaped at me.

I sheepishly smiled at him, releasing the grip on his shoulder. "Like I said, sorry about tricking you just now. I'm not the mastermind. You don't have to worry."

Shuichi eyed me with skepticism, shoulders still tensed. "I...I don't understand what you're talking about."

I sighed, ruffling my hair in irritation. "Okay, so I lied to you about your thoughts being correct. You think I'm the mastermind, right? So I lied to gauge your reactions to see if _you_ were the mastermind."

Shuichi hesitantly nodded, the disbelief still on his face. "Uh, so..."

"I'm not the mastermind, Shuichi. And now I'm sure you're not either," I declared in a steady tone. "Please believe me. I found that library by pure chance and have been searching for the mastermind like you."

I took a step away from him and lifted my hands up into the air to show that I was innocent. "I know you probably still don't trust me, but I really am not the mastermind."

Shuichi's demeanor immediately changed. His shoulders were no longer tense as he looked over me from head to toe. I stared back directly into his eyes, putting on the most genuine and sincere look that I could manage. His eyes were no longer shaking as if they were in fear. There was clarity in them that could pierce through anyone or anything.

Something akin to realization registered in his eyes.

He nodded, this time looking much more confident in himself. "Alright, I believe you."

I released the sigh that I was bottling up. I felt my knees quiver slightly in relief. A shaky smile made its way up onto my face. "Thanks for believing me, Shuichi."

He smiled back in a more relaxed manner. "Well, the fact that you're deliberately confessing to me about your...findings in the library is enough to convince me that at the least, you're not the most suspicious in this group."

I nodded in response. "I don't think you're suspicious either, from your genuine reaction of terror just now."

Shuichi winced, feeling his cheeks growing warmer from embarrassment. "A-Ah, sorry that I showed you such an unbefitting side of me."

I chuckled lightly. "Nah, it actually makes you more human. You don't talk much, so I thought you would be a cold and stoic person, but I see that was an uneducated guess."

He frowned at my remark. "Sorry...I'm not that good with strangers."

I waved my hand in a dismissive manner. "Oh, no, it's fine. We all have our faults. Anyway, I hope tomorrow doesn't end up being a nightmare..."

"It won't," Shuichi immediately said, his words filled with conviction. "I won't let that happen."

My eyes widened as I saw him oozing with confidence. I let out a low whistle. "Wow, you really are confident now, huh?"

Shuichi sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, I just have some, uh, plans of my own to end this game."

"Right right, I'll be waiting for your plan to succeed, Ultimate Detective," I gave him a curt bow and then made my way towards the entrance of the dorms. "I'll be spending the rest of the evening in my room. See you later."

I turned around and gave him one last wave of my hand before I entered the dormitory, in which he responded with a nod of his own.

I opened the door into my room, feeling more light-hearted than before. Taking off my shoes in a hurry, I immediately jumped into my bed and lied down comfortably on the blankets, staring up at the ceiling.

 _With both Rantaro and Shuichi planning to end the game peacefully, it'll be fine in the end...right?_

That night, I fell asleep peacefully for the first time in a long while…

completely unbeknownst to the fact that the wheels of fate and destiny had already started to turn.

* * *

"How are the preparations going?"

 _"Everything's going just as planned, sir."_

"Are you sure? We can't afford to make a mistake."

 _"I'm aware of that, sir."_

"The killing game must start tomorrow, you copy? If you make a mistake...you know what that means."

 _"...Of course. I won't make a mistake."_

"Good. I'm counting on you."

 _"Yes, sir. Have a pleasant night."_

"Ah, wait. I forgot to tell you something."

 _"Yes?"_

"Which one are you targetting first? That smart boy? Or the more fiery girl?"

 _"Well, judging from how things are playing out, I believe I'll aim for Rantaro first."_

"Good choice. He does have the survivor's perk, after all. It wouldn't be beneficial for us to leave him in the game any longer."

 _"And what about the other one, sir?"_

"It's fine. We didn't give her the same perk as Rantaro. Just treat her like a normal character. Besides, there's a chance someone else might try to kill her without us even having to dirty our hands."

 _"I understand. Well then, is that all?"_

"Yeah. And don't forget: if you fail, you know we won't be saving you."

 _"Of course. Let the game begin."_

 _*click*_

"...Indeed. Game on."

* * *

"What's this?" Kokichi stared curiously at the drink in my hands.

"It's grape flavored Panta. I got it from the MonoMono Machine and figured that you'd like it," I answered. "You look like someone with a sweet tooth after all."

Kokichi pouted and snatched the can from my hand. "I'm not a kid, you know."

I had a blank look in my eye as I watched him enthusiastically chug the contents down his throat. "Right...that's a very...convincing statement."

"Ah~ that really hit the spot," Kokichi wiped his mouth with the sleeves of his jacket. "Thanks for the gift, Shiro-chan! I was waiting for you."

"Huh? Waiting for me?" I questioned as he nodded.

"Well yeah! You didn't come to play with me yesterday at all, so I was hoping that you'd spend your free time event with me today," Kokichi stated.

"Well I did plan to see you yesterday, but I was so tired I accidentally fell asleep on my bed last night," I confessed with a sheepish grin.

To my surprise, Kokichi didn't complain about me ditching him. He only hummed in response and started fiddling with another book on the shelves. "Well, I guess that's fine. I'm glad you slept well!"

I watched as he picked a random book from the pile on the ground and opened it, skimming through its contents.

We were currently in the library, waiting for the time limit to arrive. It was around 3 pm in the afternoon. Having nothing to do, I decided to visit Kokichi's room. He gladly agreed to accompany me to the library.

"Thanks, but what's this thing you call free time event…?" I trailed off, wondering why he would call this meeting of ours an event.

"Hm? Oh nothing, don't worry about it!" Kokichi brushed past my question and focused on the book in front of him.

"Well, if you say so," I replied, picking up a random book of my own to skim through.

"You know, you're so weird, hanging out with me even though you somewhat despise me," Kokichi suddenly blurted out.

"I never said I despised you outright. I just said you were kind of annoying. Besides, you're the one who's weird," I spat out a retort. "I still can't figure out when you're lying and when you're not."

"That's not true," Kokichi shut the book in his hands and placed it back into the pile next to him. "You know me better than I know myself."

"There's no one who understands you better than you yourself, Kokichi," I sighed and shut the book in my hands as well, realizing that I wouldn't be able to get any reading done.

"Are you sure…?" Kokichi suddenly crept closer to the shelf that I was standing in front of. He placed a hand on my shoulder and lightly turned me towards him. "Because I think the opposite. There are some things about yourself that only _others_ can see."

"I mean, yes, but in the end, it all comes down to who you want to be, right? Not who you want to be perceived as," I answered.

"Hm...you sound like my life counselor at times," Kokichi deadpanned as I swiftly swatted him in the head lightly with my left hand on reflex.

"Who the hell are you calling your life counselor?" I groaned, rubbing my forehead with my thumbs. "Sounds like one hell of a challenging job."

"Nishishi~ well, I wouldn't want a life counselor like you too. The feeling is mutual~" Kokichi grinned. "Having you as a life counselor would be too stressful for me."

"...Am I stressing you out?" I asked dubiously in a quiet voice. "If you want me to stop saying some things, tell me honestly and I'll stop."

"Nah, it's fine. You need some people whose actions and words are unpredictable for the game to be fun," Kokichi shrugged. "Just like this killing game! I wonder when a killing will start~" his smile turned into a playful mischievous smirk. "Perhaps...I should be the one to start it?"

I stared blankly at him. "That sounds like a lie."

"I think everyone else would disagree with you on that," Kokichi snickered. "They all seem suspicious about me, after all."

"They just can't be bothered to learn who you truly are," I explained. "Not that I blame them. In a situation like this, it's normal to be wary of others, especially those that constantly lie."

"Oh, but you're not following your own advice very well, are you?" Kokichi folded his arms behind his back, a playful smile on his face. "Since you're here, talking to the number one most suspicious person of the group~"

"I don't sense any hostility from you though, so I think I'm safe for now," I said, much to Kokichi's dismay.

"Huh? But I've already plotted such an elaborate murder for you! It's not fun if you don't struggle," Kokichi clenched his fists, pouting as he glared at me. "I demand you be more suspicious of me!"

I sweatdropped. "Uh, is that your way of telling me that you want me to scram?"

Kokichi's expression warped into one of horror. "Wait, no, of course not! Stay with me, Shiro-chan!" He then latched himself onto my left arm, looking up at me with tear-filled eyes. "I'm lonely~"

"...Now this seems like a lie, but if it isn't, then you're one hell of an actor," I grimaced, pushing his head away from my arm as I felt my sleeves growing wet. "How the heck do you do this...this...crocodile tears thing?!"

"Practice makes perfect, Shiro-chan," Kokichi's grip on my arm tightened as I winced from the pain.

"Okay, okay, stop. My arm is going to break at this rate," I shook my arm roughly, but Kokichi continued to squeeze my arm harder. "H-Hey, seriously, it hurts...!"

"Don't give up," Kokichi's words made me freeze.

"...H-Huh?" I stuttered out in both confusion and pain.

His eyes were no longer brimming with tears, but there was a foreign emotion dancing within them that I could not recognize. He was no longer grinning, his mouth clenched shut. There was sweat rolling down the side of his face as if he were nervous about something.

"...As I said, practice makes perfect," Kokichi started again, my eyes meeting his round, watery orbs. "So...don't give up on me now, okay?"

"I...I have no idea what you're talking about, but...okay...?" I replied back, tone filled with uncertainty.

There was a long moment of silence that followed. Kokichi nuzzled his head against my arm and exhaled softly. I stood still, staring at his unusual behavior.

"...It's a promise, okay? No matter what I do, don't give up on me, alright?" Kokichi asked again for clarification as I nodded, still in a daze by the sudden turn in our conversation.

"Uh...did we interrupt something?" Shuichi's voice echoed into the room.

Kokichi and I gasped before we snapped our head towards the rear entrance of the library. Shuichi had his eyebrows raised as he watched us in amusement. Kaede stood behind him looking somewhat confused at our interaction.

I glanced down to see the awkward position that Kokichi and I were in, with him almost hugging my arm, head resting on my left shoulder.

Before I could speak up, Kokichi immediately released his grip on me and stomped up to them in a playful manner, clenching his fists together, holding them in front of Shuichi. "How dare you interrupt my precious time with Shiro-chan! If I had handcuffs, I'd arrest you right now for public disruption," Kokichi yelled, faking anger.

Shuichi only sighed, pulling the rim of his hat down to cover his face more. "Kokichi, you're not part of the law enforcement. You have no such authority."

"Duh, I was just fooling around," Kokichi looked to the side, eyes faking disdain. "You're so boring, Shuichi."

"Just ignore him," I intervened into their conversation, recovering from my stultified state, and grabbed Kokichi by the collar of his jacket. "I'll leave you guys to do your thing here."

Shuichi nodded in appreciation before guiding Kaede inside the library.

"Are you sure we're not interrupting anything?" Kaede asked for clarification.

I lazily waved my hand, gesturing that everything was alright. "Nah, it's fine. We can go somewhere else."

Without a warning, I pulled Kokichi by his collar, choking him as we stumbled out of the library. I let him go as soon as I shut the library door.

He coughed violently, small tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. He glared at me, furious. "Maybe you could have told me before you attempted to suffocate me to death."

I only smirked back, completely unfazed by his anger. "Why, I have no idea what you're talking about. Think of it as an act of small revenge for messing with me these past few days."

He rolled his eyes while fixing the collar of his jacket. "Geez, for a second there, I thought you were seriously going to kill me."

"I'm not dumb enough to commit murder right in front of two eyewitnesses," I scoffed.

"So you'll do it in secret, then?" he teased as I immediately chopped him in the head with my hand.

"Of course not. Are you kidding me? We're going to get out of here without killing anyone," I replied, making my way up the stairs.

I heard a loud scoff from behind me. "Such pretty words, but with no conviction behind them," Kokichi pointed out, shaking his head in disapproval.

I immediately spun around, leaning an arm against the rails of the stair. "Excuse me?"

"How ironic. Someone who keeps nudging me to face reality is actually running away from it herself," Kokichi's voice dripped with mockery as he looked up at me with distaste in his eyes. "What a hypocrite."

 _What...what is with this change in demeanor, now?_

I seethed in anger, stomping back down a few steps to stand in front of him. "Don't you test the tips of my endurance."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm only stating the truth. Surely, you can't be thinking something as naive as escaping the game with everyone alive. It's pretty much impossible at this rate."

The condescending look and the distorted drip of his mouth only fueled my anger more. "How do you know that a murder will occur for sure?"

"Of course I don't, but we both know there's a larger power at play behind the scenes," Kokichi's calm gaze met mine. "It's not ending this easily and we both know it. Don't cower away from the truth."

I couldn't muster up the courage to send a sarcastic retort back because I knew deep down that he was exactly right. And I knew that he was aware of that as well.

"Didn't you try to get me to face the harsh reality of our situation? What happened to that brave girl from before?" Kokichi's words were like a knife in my heart.

I clenched my fists. "...I thought you told me that life was supposed to be fun. What also happened to that jolly and carefree fellow from before?"

As if he was expecting that comeback, he only shrugged, completely unfazed. "Circumstances have changed. With all those new motives, something is bound to happen."

"...I thought we were getting along better, but I guess that was just me," I quietly muttered out. "The more I talk to you, the more I don't understand how you can switch gears so fast."

"Hm? You mean how I switch between my different personas?" Kokichi asked, cocking his head slightly to the side. "Well, it's your job to figure that out, Shiro-chan."

"One second you're all playful and mischievous. Another second you're all serious about finding the mastermind's true identity. At times, you show me your vulnerable side. Then, you cover it up and lie to yourself and others as if you were running away from reality instead. And now, you're the one scolding me for being too naively optimistic, which is your usual facade," I started, shaking my head in confusion. "If we're talking about being a hypocrite, doesn't that also apply to you?"

"You know I could be lying right now also, right?" Kokichi snickered, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Actually, everything I said just now was a lie! I don't care at all what you're thinking. Nothing is going to happen tonight, just like you said! We're best friends and we're getting out of this alive together!" he chimed, a bright smile on his face.

"How do you...live like that?" I blurted out, stopping him from confusing me further with his words.

"...Huh?" Kokichi's expression suddenly became grim, the temperature of the hallway dropping as tension filled the air.

"You just...lied to yourself again and you did it so easily," I shook my head again.

"Hm? Which lie? I lie a lot, so I'm not sure what you're talking about," Kokichi brushed my words off, a small smile still on his face.

"Why are you doing this to yourself? Just...what on earth _are_ you?" I felt the question leave my mouth before I could stop myself.

Kokichi was struck dumbfounded at my question, visibly distraught as sweat rolled down his face. A black fog of anxiety caped the room in silence. I glanced down at the floor, realizing that I had stepped onto a landmine. However, although I could still take back the question and just leave, my feet refused to move.

A part of me wanted to truly know the man behind the countless masks. No matter how annoying he was, no matter how much he ticked me off, no matter how much he mocked me, there was something about him that I could not leave alone. That desire alone was enough for me to remain standing my ground in the middle of this tense atmosphere.

"What a silly question," he suddenly started in a low voice, breaking the silence.

I slowly looked at him, waiting anxiously for his answer. An uncannily plastic smile made its way onto his face.

"I'm Kokichi Ouma, of course. And for once, that's not a lie."

I could never forget Kokichi's expression as he muttered those words. How he maintained a strong upfront, when in fact he felt hollow on the inside. Completely void. Drained of everything.

 _How he looked so broken as he uttered his own name._

And it was at this moment that I slowly came to realize the meaning behind all of his cryptic remarks from before.

 _"Don't give up on me, okay?"_

 _"It's a promise, alright?"_

 _"It's your job to figure it out."_

 _Ah, so this is what you meant._

"...Alright, you're Kokichi Ouma," I started, clenching my fists tightly.

His broken smile disappeared, as he stared at me, a blank look on his face that contradicted the hopeful shine in his eyes.

"We're going to survive this killing game, no matter what," I continued.

 _"It's a psychological battle where only the greatest actor wins."_

 _"Is this really fun? This...lying game of yours."_

 _"Nishishi, of course, it is. That's why I'm having this conversation with you right now, Shiro-chan~"_

"...And I'll show you who you really are."

 _Because it takes two to play the liar game, right, Kokichi?_


	9. Chapter 8: Tumbling Down the Rabbit Hole

**A/N:** I hope you guys don't end up in too much despair~ on a side note, your reviews make me so happy, seriously :) Love you guys!

* * *

 **[Chapter 8: Tumbling Down the Rabbit Hole]**

He fucked up. Oh, he fucked up _big_ time. There was no way around it.

What on earth was he thinking, latching himself onto his one and only friend like that-

Wait, did he just call Shirayuki a _friend_?

Kokichi Ouma regretted many things in his life. He had told way too many lies throughout his life that he could not possibly remember all of them, but there was no doubt that he probably regretted a few of them.

But _this_ took the prize.

This was a whole new level of 'fucking up' in Kokichi's dictionary.

To think a girl whom he had known for less than a week would be able to break through his defenses so easily - the thought was absolutely terrifying for Kokichi. Not to mention, it wasn't like she even _did_ anything to crumble his defense this time. He just went and self-destructed on his own.

That day Kokichi invited Shirayuki into his room, he almost slipped. It was a rare truthful moment between the two of them that he wished he would never have to experience, ever again.

Her words were like poison to his mind. It destroyed who he was - or at least, who he thought he was.

As contradictory as it sounds, whenever Shirayuki was around, Kokichi just wasn't Kokichi Ouma anymore.

And earlier, when they were in the library together, he just went and started begging her not to give up on him - to stay on his side.

Kokichi felt the sudden urge to bang his head against his bedroom wall, hoping that the pain would cause him a temporary lapse in memory. He wanted to erase that embarrassing moment of vulnerability from his mind. He wanted to dig himself into a hole, rot, and die.

But of course, if he did that, the killing game would start and no, he would _never_ let that happen...

Except there was nothing he could do to prevent it. The killing game was bound to start, anytime now, whether he played a role in it or not.

And unfortunately, he still had no clue who the mastermind was.

So all he could do now was pray that no one would do something stupid like killing someone else to escape.

And, of course, make sure that his wall of defense was back up again as usual if he saw Shirayuki again later.

 _But little did he know that there was no use for prayers in the Ultimate Academy of despair._

* * *

 _*Tick Tock Tick Tock*_

"Are you worried about something?" Kirumi softly asked as she set down a cup of jasmine tea in front of me.

I glanced up at her at flashed a shaky smile. "I think we're all worried about the same thing at this point."

Kirumi chuckled dryly, sliding out the chair next to mine. She took a seat and stared down at her own cup of tea, gloved hands slightly shivering in anxiety. "My apologies. That ended up being somewhat of a rhetorical question."

"No, everything's all good," I lifted the cup of tea to my lips and took a small sip, feeling the warmth entering my body. Despite its soothing effects, the tea barely helped calm down my nerves. "Everything will be fine," my own words didn't reach my heart as I wallowed silently in fear.

I found myself repeating those words numerous times throughout that day, ever since I separated with Kokichi in front of the library. He was right about one thing: there's no way the mastermind will let this end all smoothly. In fact, it wouldn't be a surprise if they killed someone, just to get this killing game started.

It only takes one shove to get the ball rolling, after all.

"Yes, I am praying with all of my heart that nothing terrible occurs tonight," Kirumi replied while she fidgeted with the handle of her cup. "It'll all be fine."

We lapsed in silence, the quietness blanketing the atmosphere, turning it into neither something hateable or lovable. The only sound in the dining hall was the clock ticking and the sound of machinery clinking against each other.

Korekiyo was sitting in the opposite corner of the dining hall, reading a book he had picked up from the library. Tsumugi was in the pantry, searching for a snack. Miu was tinkering with different mechanical parts a few seats away, muttering to herself scientific formulas I could not comprehend.

As Rantaro asked, I had been waiting in the dining hall since 8:00 pm. Although he told me to be in the dining hall at 9:00 pm, I was too distressed to wait and decided to find myself a quick meal before anything were to occur.

Kirumi gladly fixed me a sandwich, which I was genuinely grateful for.

"Kekeke, how wondrous," Korekiyo suddenly whined out, shivering in ecstasy by himself. "In approximately an hour, we will all be dead unless we sacrifice two of us."

"Shut up, you fucking dick-head," Miu spatted out from her seat, pointing a screwdriver at Korekiyo. "If we're going to sacrifice someone, it'll be you!"

"Oh? Are you saying that you will kill me? Or are you offering yourself up to be my victim...?" Korekiyo drawled out, eyes twinkling with amusement.

"The fuck did you just say?!" Miu slammed her hands onto the table, standing up, eyes blaring with unconcealed hostility and anger. "You better shut your mouth or I'll shut it up for you!"

"Guys, please calm down. This is not the time to be fighting with each other," Tsumugi ran out of the pantry towards Miu, holding her down by the shoulders.

Miu swatted Tsumugi's hands away and sat back down on her seat with a growl. "Get your dirty hands off me, you dumb whore."

"W-Whore?" Tsumugi gasped in horror as she took a step back, shocked at Miu's words.

For the umpteenth time since I've been trapped in this horrible place, my head throbbed in pain. Our circumstance had become direr as time passed. The light atmosphere from when we all first met was nowhere to be seen. What was left was only a large fog of anxiety that devoured every one.

 _Everyone's starting to reach their breaking point..._

"W-What? It's the truth, isn't it? You're into some kinky cosplay stuff, aren't ya?" Miu accused as Tsumugi blanched.

"Of course not! What on earth are you suggesting?!" Tsumugi snapped back at Miu in disgust.

"You can lie all you want but I know what you're truly like inside, you filthy bitch!" Miu cackled as she sprayed spit all over Tsumugi.

Tsumugi frowned. "Isn't that more like you?"

Miu gasped, taken aback that Tsumugi, the quiet one, would talk back to her. "W-What? So now I'm being called a filthy piece of whore trash?"

Annoyed at the raucous that they were causing, I exhaled loudly and slammed my right fist onto the table. Tsumugi and Miu yelped in surprise, turning towards me. I glared up at them from my seat. "Would you two shut up already? This isn't the time to be bickering with each other. We have to find a way to get out of here soon or else-"

My words were cut off as the sound of uproarious music filled the air. We all glanced at each other in confusion, Korekiyo putting down the book he was reading immediately. The piercing shrill of the music sent shivers down my spine. As we stood there panicking, the monitors in the dining hall suddenly switched to a different channel. I glanced up at the screen, seeing a picture of Monokuma.

"Ding Dong Bing Bong~ In one hour, everybody dies!" Monokuma's obnoxious voice echoed throughout the room as we all paled.

"W-What is happening?" Tsumugi's voice cracked as she shook in fear, legs wobbling.

"Somebody turn off that stupid music already! I'm going crazy just listening to it!" Miu screeched as she covered her ears, her eyes shut tight.

"Did it just say...that we have only one hour left...?" I suddenly whispered to myself, my hands sweating.

Kirumi glanced over at me with worry in her eyes. "Shirayuki? Are you alright?"

I ignored her and fidgeted with my hands, staring down at the ground. I was so distracted by Miu's and Tsumugi's argument that I had forgotten to check the time. There was only one hour left before the deadline, which meant that Rantaro was supposed to meet up with me any minute now to enact his plan...

But he was nowhere to be seen, and that meant only one thing.

He never planned to tell me his plan.

He was going to end it all by himself. He ordered me to stay sitting in the dining hall because he didn't want me to interfere with his plans. By any chance that his plan failed, he made sure that he would be the only sacrifice. He didn't want me to get hurt.

So where could he be right now?

There was only one place he could be: the _library_.

I stood up so abruptly from my seat that the chair tipped over behind me, crashing to the floor with a resounding thud. Everyone else winced at the sudden movement.

"Hey, what gives? The hell did you do that for?" Miu barked.

I didn't even bother giving a reply and immediately dashed out of the dining hall. The sound of yelling echoed from inside the dining hall, but I tuned it out, sprinting as fast as my legs could carry me. My gut wrenched, heart pumping, as my calves burned. I ran blindly down the hallway, turning my eyes away from everything else.

 _Rantaro's in danger...! Please let me make it on time..._

* * *

"What the fuck was that about?" Miu pondered out loud as she watched Shirayuki's figure disappear out of the dining hall. "Why is she in such a hurry?"

"Who knows," Tsumugi shrugged, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the sleeves of her uniform.

"Kehehe, perhaps it was a bathroom emergency," Korekiyo snickered to himself.

"Of course it isn't," Kirumi contemplated, inwardly grimacing at Korekiyo's suggestion. "She was obviously so distraught and overwhelmed."

"...Speaking of bathrooms, I think I'll be making a trip there myself," Tsumugi sighed as she grabbed her stomach, wincing. "The anxiety is getting to me."

"Should I accompany you?" Kirumi offered with a worried look. "It's best if we do not wander anywhere alone right now."

Tsumugi shook her head and smiled lightly at Kirumi. "No, I'll be fine. The bathroom is only a few steps away from here. I'll go there alone."

Without waiting for a response, Tsumugi turned around and quietly trodded out of the dining hall. Kirumi stared at Tsumugi's receding figure in confusion. Contrary to her words and actions, Tsumugi looked completely fine to Kirumi. In fact, that previous smile of hers seemed more genuine than her so-called stomachache. Kirumi frowned, an unsettling feeling welling inside of her.

"I...think I'll go after Shirayuki. She seems to be in a panic," Kirumi announced as she started to jog out of the dining hall.

"What? Don't leave me alone with this fucking creep! What if I get killed?! That'd be fucking tragic, to have the world lose my genius," Miu hissed, taking a step away from Korekiyo, eying him with caution.

Korekiyo only rolled his eyes and re-opened his book. Without even a glance at her, he started to read again. "I was only kidding. Someone like you isn't worth killing at all."

"The fuck? Are you picking a fight with me?! Well, a long-haired she-man like you isn't worth killing over too! Go rot alone in hell," Miu huffed, pouting.

Korekiyo only sighed and shook his head lightly in exasperation. "This is exactly why you're not worthy enough for my collection..."

* * *

"...Is that you, Shirayuki? Where are you going in such a hurry?" Shuichi exclaimed as I shot past him. He was about to enter the classroom next to the staircase.

I gave him a small glance in recognition. "Just heading over to the game room!" I lied through my teeth and without waiting for his reply, I leaped down the stairs, three steps at a time. Stumbling on my own feet as I reached the bottom floor, I took a quick gasp of cold air, frantically looking around for Rantaro.

From the game room, I heard the muffled sounds of laughter.

 _What the fuck? Are people really having a gaming session right now?!_

I promptly ignored the raucous fray of chattering and headed over to the rear entrance of the library. The music was still blaring over my head and I felt my heart pounding even faster than before. I grabbed the handle of the door and slid it open.

The force of my pull made the door slam against the wall with a loud and resounding thud.

I heard someone in the library gasp.

Narrowing my eyes at the bookcase which had swung open to block my view, I stomped inside the library and peeked my head around the bookshelf.

There he was, Rantaro, standing still in the corner of the room, gaping like a deer in the headlights.

 _He's...still okay..._

"S-Shirayuki?" He stuttered out, still in a stupified state.

"...What on earth are you thinking?" I seethed in anger as I spat out the words through my teeth. "Do you think you're a hero or something? Coming to a dangerous place all alone...you could have told me to accompany you! Or what, you don't trust me? You think I'm the mastermind?!"

"Shirayuki, that's not it, but now isn't the time! I have to do this—" Rantaro started to speak frantically, but I cut him off.

"Do what? Commit suicide?! It's too dangerous for you to come waltzing into the mastermind's lair like this. What if they're inside that door, waiting to kill you?!" I screamed, no longer able to control my fury and worry. "I was so worried about you when I ran here, you know?!"

Rantaro pressed his lips tightly together as he clenched his fists. He glared back at me. "I understand that, but I can't put you in danger. I have to be the one to end this game...I have to—"

Rantaro never got to end his sentence.

 ***CRASH***

Time seemed to stop as we stood there staring at each other, eyes equally wide with genuine surprise. Rantaro turned his head to the left, staring down at the floor. From my spot near the open bookshelf, I glanced down at the ground next to him.

The shot put rolled a little to the side before it came to a stop.

There was a brief moment of silence as we looked at the ball, stunned.

Then, panic ensued.

"What the— fuck, we are getting the hell out of here," without even waiting for Rantaro's response, I ran over to him and grabbed his wrist, yanking him towards the rear entrance.

"W-Wait, Shirayuki, I— what on earth?" Rantaro stammered as he stumbled after me, no longer putting up a fight.

 ***Click***

I slammed the door shut with my right hand after I pulled Rantaro out of the library. I strengthened my grip on him, voice shaking. "I-I have no idea what that was, but it's bad to stay near here. Let's go."

 ***Creak***

I froze for a split second, after hearing an unexpected noise.

 _Was that the sound of someone opening the front entrance of the library?_

* * *

"Uh, Kaede? Why are you sweeping?" Shuichi sweatdropped as he watched Kaede drop the broom in embarrassment.

"O-Oh, uh, no reason. I was just...getting nervous. Yeah, that's it," Kaede laughed dryly. "So, what's happening out there?"

"They went into the game room, so our plan should still be safe," Shuichi explained. "I saw Shirayuki sprinting down the hallway just now, but she said she was going to the game room."

"Shirayuki was running down the hallway?" Kaede raised an eyebrow. "Why was she in a hurry?"

Shuichi shrugged. "Beats me. Perhaps it had to do with their meeting in the Game Room? Rantaro did mention that he was going to end the killing game today..."

Kaede squirmed in place as she fidgeted with her fingers, feeling the sweat on her skin. "I hope our plan works."

Shuichi gave her a reassuring smile. "It'll be fine. If Monokuma is going to show up when the time runs out, the mastermind will go to the library and-"

 ***Bzzt Bzzt Bzzt***

"Wah!" Shuichi almost dropped the receiver as he pulled it out of his pockets with a shaky grip. "The receiver is ringing!"

Kaede felt her heart leap out of her chest. "W-We need to go!" Kaede's voice cracked under the nerve-wracking situation. "Y-You should hurry, Shuichi!"

Without even waiting for Kaede, Shuichi immediately darted out of the classroom, leaving Kaede alone. As soon as she heard Shuichi's footsteps down the stairs, she slid her backpack off her back, dragging it over towards the vent.

With nimble hands, she grabbed the sides of the vent and yanked the lid open. Then, she reached into her bag and grabbed the shot-put. Kaede hesitated for a split second as she sat there alone with the ball in her hand, the loud music still blaring above her head.

The rapid crescendo and increase in the tempo of the music made the adrenaline rush through her as she closed her eyes tightly and threw the shot-put into the vent. Almost immediately, the guilt overwhelmed her as she attempted to stand up, legs shivering.

But she didn't have time for her guilt to catch up to her.

She needed to go. She had to see who the mastermind was.

After all, it was her obligation to at least see the corpse of the person she killed.

She only wished that Shuichi wouldn't resent her too much if the truth were to come out.

* * *

"Let's go to the game room," I said while pulling Rantaro alongside me. "I heard a lot of people talking there so it should be safe."

"Wait," Rantaro stood his ground, completely recovered from his initial panic. "I hear footsteps above us."

I cursed under my breath, releasing my grip on Rantaro immediately. "It's probably Shuichi. I saw him earlier when I was running down the hallway. He might think we're the masterminds if we're lurking near the library."

"It's fine, I have an explanation," Rantaro then walked ahead of me as I trailed after.

As we suspected, Shuichi came sprinting down the stairs. He jolted in surprise, stopping mid-step as he saw us standing right at the bottom of the staircase. "W-What are you guys doing here?" Shuichi took a step back up the stairs, eyes shaking with panic and confusion.

"Relax, I just met her in front of the game room and we've been chatting for a while here. What about you? Why are you in such a hurry?" Rantaro placed on a facade, cocking his head to the side in feigned confusion.

"I have no time to explain. We have to go into the library, now," Shuichi yelled in an uncharacteristic manner. "Please trust me!"

Rantaro and I glanced at each other. Without even exchanging a word, we knew that something was wrong. And with the library being the place of concern, there was a high chance that whatever it was that got Shuichi so worked up had to do with our presence in the library a moment ago.

Snapping out of a daze, I nodded at Shuichi. "Alright, let's go."

Shuichi dashed down the stairs and headed to the front entrance of the library. We moved to follow him, but a voice from the game room caught our attention.

"Huh? Rantaro? Where have you been? We were waiting for you!" Kaito spoke up as he exited the game room.

"I'll explain later," Rantaro spoke in a rushed manner, slurring his words. "Shuichi seems to think something has happened in the library."

Kaito scrunched his eyebrows together. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

As if on cue, Kaede came jumping down the stairs. She stared at us all with both surprise and fear in her eyes. "G-Guys! The mastermind is in the library!"

"Uh, mastermind?" Tenko's voice came from behind Kaito as she walked out of the game room. "I just came to check up on the noisy racket, but what's this going on here?"

"Hurry, guys!" Shuichi's bellowing voice shook everyone out of their confusion as they immediately followed him to the front entrance of the library. "At the count of three, we're barging in!"

"I have no idea what's going on, but I'll be the one to take out the mastermind!" Kaito yelled out, placing his hand on the handle of the door.

"Hey! Tenko's going to be the one to knock that degenerate male out of the park!" Tenko screeched, also positioning herself in front of the door.

"Guys, this isn't a competition! Let's just open the door, okay?!" Kaede's panicked order made everyone push together against the front door.

The door burst open as we all stepped into the library in a frenzy. Shuichi gasped as he saw the bookshelf door closing on its own. Kaede's face was paling as she stumbled around, glancing around the library. Tenko and Kaito walked after Shuichi in puzzlement.

"...Hey," I whispered in a low voice to Rantaro who was standing next to me. He turned his head towards me and leaned down to hear me better. "Does that hidden bookshelf close on its own?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Rantaro whispered back. "Last time I checked, you have to close it yourself."

"Same. When I tried it, I had to close it myself too," I answered back.

"Ah-" I heard Shuichi take in a short gasp of air. Rantaro and I snapped our attention to him, seeing that he was standing in front of the moving bookcase. His face was pale as he pointed a shivering finger towards the rightmost bookshelf.

"Hm? What's wrong, Shuichi? Why are you standing there all stiff like that?" Kaito pondered out loud as he walked closer to where Shuichi was standing. As he reached Shuichi's spot, he turned his head to the right and froze, eyes widening at a rapid pace.

Kaede meekly trailed behind Kaito, glancing at the right bookshelf before she shut her eyes tightly, hugging herself as she shook wildly.

"...Guys? W-What's wrong?" I found my voice shaking after looking at their reaction.

"...Let's go closer," I felt Rantaro's reassuring hand on my back, nudging me forward.

We walked alongside each other, slowly reaching where everyone was standing. I turned my head to the right and followed their line of sight...

...and that's when I saw it.

There was a body, drowning in a pool of blood. The same shot-put that Rantaro and I had witnessed was lying on the ground.

I recognized the body immediately.

Of course, I would, since I just saw her a few minutes ago, alive and well.

There, lying still in front of the bookshelf, was the Ultimate Maid, Kirumi Tojo.

A scream rang throughout the building.

* * *

Time doesn't understand remorse. It ticks on, regardless of how much you may need of it - or how much you wish it to rewind.

There were mixed reactions from us sixteen students as we stood there together in the cramped room. The acrid smell of blood was foul enough for us to imagine the metallic and bone-shivering taste of it.

Some of us were gagging from the smell, such as Himiko or Tenko. Others, like Kaito and Gonta, were clenching their fists in anger and fury. Then, there were those like Kaede and Tsumugi who were frozen with fear.

And then, there were those that felt a huge tide of relief, like Miu or Korekiyo.

Since a murder had occurred, the deadline was no longer a prominent issue. The sacrificial lamb had been decided without their own knowledge and now, the rest of us were saved...

As long as we identified the correct culprit.

And that was where the issue lied. Now, we were no longer a group of friends. There was an enemy - a wolf in sheep skin - hiding among our ranks.

Trust be damned. No one could trust each other in a situation like this, not when one of us had been brutally murdered.

"Are you alright?" Rantaro kindly asked in a quiet voice, though it was phrased more like a rhetorical question.

I glanced up at him, eyes quivering and watering. "I think you already know the answer to that question."

His smile was forced as he lightly patted my back. I flashed him a distorted smile of my own, delivering my gratitude towards his caring caress. As soon as I had seen Kirumi's corpse, the scream came bursting out of my mouth before I could stop it. Without much thought, I had launched myself at Rantaro, digging my face into his shoulders as I shuddered in fear and horror.

Rantaro, although surprised at the sudden outburst and contact, didn't push me away and guided me off to the opposite side of the room, where I was now sitting on a small stack of books.

Panic had ensued after everyone else heard my ear-splitting scream and the other students came trailing in one after another.

And now, we were all in the library, panicking like no tomorrow.

"So, the Killing Game has started, huh?" Maki was the first one to initiate a conversation with the others.

"W-Why is Kirumi dead?!" Tenko screeched as she pulled her pigtails.

"S-Someone must have killed her," Kiibo's voice quivered as he stared blankly at Kirumi's corpse.

"Then, the Killing Game really has begun," Ryoma muttered in a dark and sullen voice.

"W-Wait, maybe not. Maybe the killing game has...ended, instead," Kaede suddenly pointed out, turning everyone's attention to her.

"Ended? What on earth do you mean?" Korekiyo asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, if Rantaro was the mastermind, then that means this game is over!" Kaede exclaimed, her hands still shaking from anxiety.

"Mastermind? What are you talking about?" Kaito groaned, burying his head into his hands as he ferociously scratched his head. "We were planning to fight Monokuma, Kirumi's dead, and now you're talking about some mastermind? My head can't take this anymore!"

Maki scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Maybe if you were smarter, it wouldn't be hurting as much."

Kiibo winced. "Ouch, that was a brutal remark."

"...I have no idea how she died," Shuichi started, turning everyone's attention to him instead. "But if Kirumi was in the library right before the deadline, then there's a high chance that she was the mastermind. And if she's dead..."

Shuichi never got to finish his deduction.

 _*Ding Dong Bing Bong*_

The monitor flickered and an image of Monokuma, sitting on his couch as he sipped a glass of wine, appeared. "A body has been discovered! Everyone, please gather in the library."

Right on cue, Monokuma appeared from the ceiling, dropping down in front of Kirumi's body. "What a relief! A murder took place just before time ran out!" Monokuma spoke up as he rubbed his stomach in a relaxed and comfortable manner.

Kaede stumbled as she took a few steps back, pointing at Monokuma, her face pale as a ghost. "B-But how? The mastermind controlling you is..."

"Hm?" Monokuma poked his cheeks and tilted his head to the side. "By mastermind, do you mean the real mastermind controlling me? And you think it was Kirumi?" The sound of his cackle filled the room. "What a wild imagination! Of course, that's wrong!"

"B-But..." Kaede sputtered, turning to Shuichi for help. "Shuichi, w-what does this mean?"

"I...I don't know...but if we check the cameras, maybe we can find out something," Shuichi spoke up.

I jolted from my seat, whipping my head up to look at him in complete panic. _Camera?_

"Well, anyways, thanks to the First Blood Perk, we don't have to hold a class trial," Monokuma chimed. "With that said, if you're the blackened who killed Kirumi, then please raise your hand!"

"T-The one who killed Kirumi?" Tsumugi stuttered as she swung her head around, looking at everyone.

"W-Who did it? It must be one of you degenerate males!" Tenko screeched as she positioned herself in an aikido defensive stance. "Man up and confess to your sins!"

But in contrary to everyone's expectations, no one raised their hand. We all stood in silence, looking at each other with suspicion dancing in our eyes. Monokuma hummed, waiting for the blackened to step up...

But no matter how long we waited, nobody confessed.

"Upupupu...I see...so the blackened wants a class trial instead!" Monokuma exclaimed, snickering. "Very well. I shall give them what they want and hold a class trial~"

"This outcome is much worse," Maki sighed. "The culprit should have just stepped up."

"Huh? What you mean?" Gonta questioned.

"If the culprit graduated then that would be it, but now that a class trial is being held, there's a chance that all of us but the blackened could die," Maki explained, shaking her head in disbelief.

"But before we can hold that trial, you all need to investigate first," Monokuma announced. "If you don't investigate the murder, you won't be able to argue over who did it!"

"So we need to investigate ourselves too?" Ryoma scoffed, clutching his hat. "Sounds bothersome."

"Why of course! The investigation is what makes the killing game so good," Monokuma chuckled. "Alright, the trial will begin soon so give it your best shot!"

Then, without a warning, Monokuma disappeared from our sight, leaving us to wallow in _despair_.

 _And so...the game begins._


	10. Chapter 9: Investigation Trial 1

**A/N:** Wow, I did not expect to get such nice reviews in the last chapter. I'm glad you guys enjoyed the switch-ups I've made. I'm no genius nor am I an actual detective, but I'll try my best to make the mysteries more interesting!

This chapter is a little longer than usual, which is why it took me slightly more time to write it up. The following chapters with the trial will also be quite lengthy, so I might be a tad slower with updates (plus final exams are slowly creeping up).

Also, yes, to a certain reviewer who mentioned this: OUR AVOCADO DIDN'T BECOME GUACAMOLE- thank you for almost making me choke to death from laughter lololol

* * *

 **[Chapter 9: Investigation - Trial 1]**

"...Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Kokichi cheered, his energy level as high as ever.

"H-Huh? Wait, Gonta no understand. Where do we start?" Gonta frantically looked around the room.

"Well, we're looking for the truth behind Kirumi's death, right?" Ryoma explained. "If we can't figure out who did it, we're getting annihilated, that's for sure."

"Nyeh, I'm just a cute, normal girl who can use magic, you know? I don't deserve to die young like this..." Himiko groaned, clutching the hem of her hat. "To borrow Tenko's words, let the girls live at least..."

"Hey, you're the last person who should be calling herself cute, you loli witch," Miu chastised.

"Nyahaha, let's just ask Atua for the answer!" Angie exclaimed, prancing around the room like a child. "There's nothing that Atua doesn't know~."

"God doesn't help anyone," Maki rolled her eyes. "The only ones who can save us are ourselves."

"Nishishi~ such pretty words, coming from someone so unbefitting of them," Kokichi's eyes narrowed as his lips contorted up into a smirk. His eyes twinkled with mischief. "But that's probably a story for another day~."

Maki glared at him. "What are you trying to say?"

"Geez, calm down, guys. At a time like this, we have the Ultimate Detective with us, right? Just leave it all to him," Kaito rubbed the back of his head casually as he looked at Shuichi, who was sweating buckets in front of Kirumi's corpse.

"H-Huh? Well, yes...I'll get started on my detective work now," Shuichi quietly mumbled to himself as he crept closer to the corpse.

"Kekeke, there's no need to think hard. We need to converse with the corpse, that's all," Korekiyo uttered as if it was the most logical thing in the world. "A corpse is not simply a dead body. That is just an assumption, made by the living."

"So first we were going to leave it all to god, and now we're going to rely on the occult? Geez, so much for a proper investigation," Ryoma rolled his eyes, sighing in exasperation. "I'll do the investigation on my own, then."

"W-Wait, so are we really doing this?" Tsumugi stuttered.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Of course, we're doing this! If we don't, we're going to die. Or what, you don't want us to investigate because you're the killer, HUH?!" Miu pointed an accusing finger at Tsumugi.

"Please wait. What basis do you have for accusing her like that?" Kiibo protested. "You need more evidence!"

"Kiibo's right," Shuichi spoke up from his position in front of Kirumi's body. "If we keep on accusing each other now, we're just playing into Monokuma's hand. We have to trust each other and reach the truth behind this case."

"Huh? That's contradictory. If we're investigating, it's because we doubt each other, right?" Miu argued.

Shuichi shook his head as he kneeled to examine Kirumi's body. "But we need to overcome our doubt to truly believe in each other, right? We need to investigate this murder, not because we suspect each other...but because we trust each other, right?"

Shuichi's words echoed throughout the room. It was as if everyone was taken aback by his words. Out of all people, no one expected that it would be Shuichi who would try to bring their morale up. It was a pleasant surprise, and the effect rippled immediately amongst us.

"He's right! Actually, he just said what I was going to say!" Kaito pounded his fists together, a beaming grin on his face.

Maki rolled her eyes. "Nice try, but that sounds like a lie."

"Hey! It's my job to make lies here! Don't steal the spotlight away from me," Kokichi whined as he pounded his small fists onto Kaito's back repeatedly.

"Ouch- what the hell, man?!" Kaito screamed as he pushed Kokichi off, who only continued to snicker as he chased Kaito around.

"Gonta not smart. Not sure Gonta can be of help, but Gonta will try his best!" Gonta proclaimed, eyes shining with determination.

"I will work hard with Atua's guidance! I'm much happier alive than dead, anyways," Angie chimed as she clasped her hands together in a praying motion.

Ryoma sweatdropped. "So, in the end, you're still going to rely on a deity?"

"Nishishi~ you guys can leave it to me! I'll find the culprit in no time at all!" Kokichi stopped chasing Kaito around and announced in a loud and confident voice.

"Now _that_ sounds like a stinking lie," Himiko eyed Kokichi with disbelief.

"...Well, it seems like everyone is now back to their normal cheery selves," Rantaro pointed out with a small smile on his face.

"...I guess that's a good thing," I added, looking at the peaceful and serene scene in front of me. "I'm surprised they managed to get over Kirumi's...untimely death so easily."

Rantaro kneeled down next to the pile of books I was sitting on to meet my line of sight. "Instead of moping around like this, I'd prefer you return to your normal feisty self. It's not like you to be discouraged like this."

I let out a dry laugh, though my voice was no longer shaking like before. "Feisty? Is that how you've always viewed me?"

Rantaro shrugged, a lopsided grin on his face. "You might not be as open as the others, but you're quite the roller-coaster ride in your own way."

"And here I thought I was the more normal of the bunch," I feigned an annoyed sigh. "But anyways, thanks for the support. I think I'm fine now."

"No problem. I'm used to taking care of others," Rantaro lightly chuckled, standing up again. "You kind of remind me of my sisters."

"Wait, really?" I voiced out in surprise, standing up from my seat as well. "Must be annoying to have a sister like me."

"I'm glad you know," Rantaro joked, a teasing smile on his lips.

I frowned and jabbed him in the side of his stomach in a playful manner. "Screw you, avocado boy."

Rantaro choked on thin air, turning to me with something akin to horror on his expression. "A-Avocado boy? Where did that nickname even come from?"

I shrugged, mirroring his previous teasing smile. "Oh, I don't know, your green hair? The hairdo? How you acted all calm and collected when you're actually just a mush of cinnamon inside? Everything about you screams avocado," I counted the list off with my fingers.

He sweatdropped, brushing his hair back. "...I really have no idea how to react to that."

"Nishishi~ I think it's a very befitting name!" Kokichi interjected into our conversation, making me yelp in surprise. "Can I call you that too from now on, Avocado-boy?"

"Goddamn it, Kokichi! I told you to stop appearing out of nowhere like that," I scolded, feeling my heart pounding from the shock.

"Aw, did I scare you again? Sorry about that Shiro-chan~ but you guys were kind of in a world of your own, and we have more important things to be doing...so I thought I'd wake you guys up!" Kokichi grinned as he thrust an electronic pad into our hands. "Here! Monokuma told me to give this to you guys. Apparently, it's something called the Monokuma File."

"Monokuma file? Where does he come up with all these lame names?" I grimaced as I turned the screen on. I scrolled through the screen in an absentminded manner. "...So basically, this is like an autopsy report."

"Can we trust this?" Rantaro questioned, looking at Kokichi for an answer.

Kokichi hummed, tilting his head to the side. "Well, I think we can trust him to a certain degree. I mean, the game isn't fun for him if we don't give a good class trial, right? So I bet that it's probably trustworthy!"

"Well, if you say so..." I nodded, shutting the power off. "I'm done scanning the contents. To be honest, it's not that helpful."

 **[Monokuma File 1 has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

"Hm, so how are we going to do this?" Kokichi rested his hands on his hips. "Are we investigating as a team?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, scrunching my eyebrows in confusion.

"I mean, everyone else has already dispersed to do their investigation...so I guess we should team up?" Kokichi glanced around the room. "Shuichi is teaming up with Kaede, so I think it's fine if we team up too!"

"I don't mind," Rantaro voiced out his opinion with a shrug. "Three heads are probably better than one."

"Also, if we work in teams, that prevents the culprit from tampering with the evidence!" Kokichi chimed in, nodding enthusiastically.

"I don't mind working with Rantaro since we've been doing that a lot anyway, but I have a problem with _you_ ," I pointed an accusing finger at Kokichi, narrowing my eyes. "How do I know you're not going to mess around and try to confuse the hell out of us?"

Kokichi puckered his lips, pouting as tears welled up in his eyes. "Y-You don't believe me? I'm genuinely hurt, Shiro-chan..."

"...Those are fake tears again, right?" I blankly stated.

"Yep," Kokichi replied instantly, completely unfazed. "Well, I don't want to die too, so I'll try not to mess around _too_ much."

"That just makes me worry even more."

"Wow, do you hate me that much, Shiro-chan?"

"Sort of."

"Ouch, my heart is aching. I think I might be dying..."

"Congratulations, I hope you have a fun time in the afterlife."

"You're so mean!"

Rantaro looked back and forth as we continued to bicker. Amusement flickered in his eyes as he let out an unrestrained laugh. We both turned our attention to him in confusion at his sudden outburst.

"Hm? Why are you laughing all of a sudden?" Kokichi questioned.

"Oh, nothing. It's just...you guys seem to get along very well," Rantaro pointed out, a wry smile on his face.

I gaped in disbelief. "Huh? Are you frickin' blind? How on earth are we getting along well?!"

"They do say that close friends tend to argue a lot more than others," Rantaro shrugged, his smile transforming into a full-blown grin instead. "At least from my point of view, you guys seem to be fairly close."

"I want to be closer to Shiro-chan, but she keeps pushing me away~" Kokichi whined, watery eyes glancing at me.

"That's because my head starts hurting when you're around!" I protested, hitting him lightly in the back of the head. "You keep on messing with me with your stupid lying game."

"But lying is just so fun! Your reactions are also the best," Kokichi commented, giving me a thumbs up.

"Be careful though, Kokichi," Rantaro interjected with a knowing look. "Don't become the boy who cried wolf."

"Nishishi~ is that a warning? Thanks, avocado-boy," Kokichi replied, unfazed by Rantaro's warning. "But lying is just too much fun for me to stop."

"Is that also a lie?" I rolled my eyes.

"...Nishishi, are we really going to have this conversation again, Shirayuki?" Kokichi narrowed his eyes as a smirk made its way up onto his face. His eyes glinted with danger and a tinge of annoyance. "I thought we already went over this a few nights ago."

"I can't help but be suspicious of every word that comes out of your mouth," I glared back at him. "As Rantaro said, you're like the boy who cried wolf."

"Well, I can't help but lie either," Kokichi scoffed. "It's my nature."

"That's why no one understands you completely, Kokichi," I commented, a frown on my face.

"So what do you want me to do? Change myself? But if I do that, then I'm lying again," Kokichi pointed out with a crooked smile. "In the end, I'm just destined to be the boy who cried wolf."

"I don't know, just— URGH, fine, just be whoever you want to be," I threw my hands up into the air in exasperation, feeling a familiar headache creeping up.

"Nishishi...thanks," Kokichi uttered a small word of gratitude, his smile dimming slightly.

"As much as I enjoy listening to you two bickering, I think we should start investigating now..." Rantaro glanced around the room. "There's probably a limit to our investigation time."

"Right, sorry about that," I immediately switched gears, bumping my fists together. "Let's get to work, then."

"Alright! We're going to be the first ones to find the culprit and win this round!" Kokichi cheered as he immediately dashed towards Kirumi's body, leaving Rantaro and me to sigh at his energetic antics.

* * *

Shuichi had a lot of things on his mind.

First and foremost was the death of their dear friend, Kirumi Tojo. Even now, he still could not believe that someone had actually killed her. After all, she was still very much alive a few hours ago. He spent a few minutes, staring at her dead body, reminiscing about her.

She was so genuine, helpful, and selfless. All of the times she made breakfast for them, all of the times she helped them with the most random of mundane tasks, all of the times she supported them with her maid skills...

He would never forgive her killer, that was for sure. A kind-hearted soul like Kirumi shouldn't have died. And using whatever means he could, he would solve this case, no matter what.

Now _that_ , was exactly the second thing on his mind: the murder itself.

For some reason, this murder rubbed him the wrong way. There were many inconsistencies throughout the evidence. To begin with, when did Kirumi enter the library? Why was she even there? Who else was in the library with her?

Of course, if Monophanie came back with the photos, then all of those questions would probably be answered.

But aside from that, there was just something...shady about this murder. Something was wrong. _Very_ wrong.

Although he didn't want to admit it, his ability as the Ultimate Detective had been running amok ever since he started investigating. His brain was picking up clues as fast as lightning. Not even ten minutes into the investigation, he already had a few theories in mind...

It was just that he didn't like them one bit.

Oh, he didn't like them at _all_.

His gut feeling told him to keep quiet about the receiver and the flash of the camera that he noticed. Why? He did not know. Perhaps deep inside of him, he still didn't trust anybody but himself and Kaede...

And that just made everything even worse, since there was something peculiar about her actions.

For the first time his life, Shuichi wished from the bottom of his heart that someone would prove his deduction wrong.

* * *

"What the fuck is going on?" the man in black slammed his fists onto his desk, making his secretary flinch at the sudden noise. "I thought we all agreed upon Rantaro being the first victim. So what the hell is this?!"

"I-I'm not sure what happened either, sir," his secretary stammered as she frantically flipped through the documents she had with her. "We already confirmed it with her last night that she was to take out Rantaro first."

"Then tell me, why on earth is he very much alive? You know it's risky for us to have both of those survivors running around freely in the game!" the man screeched, pulling the strands of his hair in fury.

"Yes, I am very much aware of that fact, sir," the secretary agreed.

"Not to mention, the poll results showed that the audience wants Rantaro dead as soon as possible. We can't disappoint them like this," the man in black groaned.

"M-My apologies, I will go ask her immediately for an explanation," the secretary bowed and hastily made her way out the door.

The man in black huffed, resting his head down on the table as he slumped down, hands still clutching his head in uncontained frustration. "Damn those two brats...why won't they just die as planned?!"

* * *

"I see...so you planned to capture a photograph of the mastermind opening the bookcase," Rantaro mused as he contemplated Shuichi's plan. "But isn't that plan quite risky? You enacted it on the assumption that only you and the mastermind knew about the door's presence."

"Well, I was aware that Shirayuki knew about the hidden door," Shuichi replied. "But I already told her that I had plans to end the game, so I thought that she wouldn't come to the library."

"Uh, yeah, about that, Shuichi..." I started as he turned his attention to me. "When you get back the photos from Monophanie, you'll know this immediately, but I actually...did go to the library before Kirumi was killed."

"...Wait. What?!" Shuichi exclaimed while Kaede stood silently beside him, staring blankly at me.

"I think it's best if I help Shirayuki explain this. You see...I also knew about the hidden door and had my plans on ending the game," Rantaro added, much to Shuichi's surprise.

"I-I wasn't aware of that," Shuichi stammered.

"Nishishi, I also walked in on Shirayuki opening that hidden door a few days back, so I was aware of it too~" Kokichi chimed in, adding more fuel to the fire as Shuichi dejectedly slumped his back.

"I...I see...so I guess my plan was very flawed," Shuichi gave a dry smile.

"Nah, it was fine," I consoled him. "It was pure coincidence that we three managed to find out about that hidden bookcase."

"...Wait, so if Shirayuki went to the library tonight, then Rantaro and Kokichi also went?" Kaede suddenly butted into the conversation, a worried look on her face.

"I didn't go!" Kokichi declared, though none of us genuinely believed him.

"I went to the library just when that obnoxious music started playing," Rantaro said.

"...Hm? Wait a minute. Kaito said that you left to go to the bathroom when they were meeting up in the game room," Shuichi frowned.

"Yes, that was a lie. I headed right over to the library to confront the mastermind," Rantaro explained.

"Ooooh~ so even the great Rantaro lies. We should have a duel someday!" Kokichi brightly challenged, grinning widely.

"I see. So when Shirayuki ran past me..." Shuichi turned to me, completely ignoring Kokichi's words.

I sheepishly smiled and rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment. "Yeah, I lied to you about going to the game room, because I didn't want you to be suspicious about me again."

Shuichi shook his head. "No, it's fine. That means you two can act as each other's alibis, right?"

Rantaro nodded. "Shirayuki came in, just as I opened that bookcase."

"After that, we were both together the whole time, so it's impossible for either of us to be the killer," I added.

 **[Shirayuki's Account has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

"Wait...that means you guys must have come out of the library, right?" Shuichi asked dubiously as he wrapped his fingers around his chin, staring down at the floor in contemplation.

"Yes and I know exactly what you're confused about," Rantaro started, looking off towards the direction Kirumi's body was lying in. "Shirayuki and I were the only ones in the library. When we left the library, almost immediately, you came running down the stairs."

"So the real question is..." I trailed off, glancing at Shuichi who nodded.

"When did Kirumi enter the library and how did she do so when we were both guarding the entrances?" Shuichi questioned.

"...Wait a minute, that is strange," Kaede muttered. "Shirayuki and Rantaro just came out of the library, so the rear entrance was blocked. Shuichi then came sprinting down the stairs, so the front entrance was also blocked. Then how did Kirumi appear inside the library?"

"Maybe she came out of the hidden bookshelf?" I suggested.

"But that would mean she was the mastermind, which she obviously isn't, seeing how this game isn't really ending," Kokichi shot down my suggestion immediately. "Nishishi, nice try though."

I groaned, feeling my face heat up in embarrassment at the logical fallacy of my argument. "Sorry..." I mumbled out in a dejected voice.

"It's fine. It's good to explore all possibilities," Shuichi consoled me this time. "That hidden door wasn't opened recently, because the dust on the card reader was still there."

"Dust?" Rantaro raised an eyebrow as Shuichi pointed towards the hidden door.

"I placed some dust earlier this afternoon into the card reader. If someone had opened the door, then the dust would have shifted, which it did not," Shuichi explained.

"Damn, you really thought this through, huh?" I complimented as Shuichi sheepishly smiled back.

"Well, you guys ended up destroying my plans completely though," Shuichi sweatdropped.

 **[Card Reader Dust has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

"Hey, just to ask for clarification, but does the door close on its own?" I turned to Shuichi.

"I believe it closes automatically after some time," Shuichi explains. "When we entered the library, the bookcase closed on its own, remember?"

 **[Moving Bookcase has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

"I think I saw that happening too..." Rantaro hummed in agreement.

"But couldn't that have been the mastermind closing the door?" I questioned.

"Shiro-chan, if they were in there, then how did they get back out and mingle with us in the library?" Kokichi deadpanned, shaking his head in disappointment.

"...Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut," I covered my face with my hand and groaned as Shuichi gave me a sympathetic look of pity.

"That bloody shot put ball is the murder weapon, right? Someone must have crept up behind Kirumi and WHAM, slammed her head with it," Kokichi dramatically whipped his arm in a swinging motion.

 **[Bloody Shot Put Ball has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

Rantaro and I glanced at each other with a knowing look.

 _They didn't have to slam her head with it...maybe...they dropped it...just like that shot put ball we saw earlier..._

"They didn't have to slam it in her head...maybe they just-" I started, only to be interrupted by Rantaro, who clasped a hand over my mouth.

"Wait, we'll discuss that more first before we tell Shuichi about it," Rantaro harshly whispered into my ears, eying me with a threatening look that screamed 'shut up or else.'

I winced, confused as to why he was being so aggressive but nodded nevertheless.

Shuichi just raised a dubious eyebrow at our actions. "Is something the matter?"

Rantaro waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Nothing. We were just wondering about how Kirumi entered the library."

"Right, that is probably the biggest mystery of this case," Shuichi mumbled.

"Perhaps you just didn't see her walking down the stairs from the lookout classroom?" I offered a suggestion.

"It wouldn't be surprising if that actually were the case," Kaede agreed. "The music was pretty loud, after all."

 **[Promotional Video BGM has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

"Hey, Shuichi!" Kokichi suddenly butted into the conversation. "I have a question!"

"What is it?" Shuichi eyed him with subtle hostility, though he wasn't wholly antagonistic.

"So you said you set up those cameras to take a photo of the mastermind, right?" Kokichi asked.

"That's right," Shuichi replied.

"So, when you came running down the stairs as you said, does that mean that you knew a photo had been taken at that moment? Like, did you have a transmitter and a receiver or something on the cameras?" Kokichi questioned, eyes narrowed with a sly smirk on his face.

Shuichi started to sweat, though he attempted to remain unfazed. "N-no, I just wanted to check how things were going downstairs since I saw a whole lot of us walking down to the game room."

"Hm...I see. Alright then," Kokichi quietly snickered to himself, eyes twinkling with amusement and most importantly, distrust.

Kaede eyed Shuichi with a panicked look on her face.

Rantaro and I stared silently at the exchange.

 _So they are hiding something too...then..._

"I think it's time we separated now," I declared. "We don't have much time left, so I think we should be investigating elsewhere."

"A-Ah, yes. We'll be heading over to the game room then. See you guys later at the trial," Shuichi nodded and then grabbed Kaede's hand, pulling her out of the library.

As the front entrance door closed, Kokichi turned towards Rantaro and me with a blank look on his face. "Yep, definitely a lie. There's definitely a receiver and transmitter somewhere."

I sweatdropped. "So not only are you the master of lying, you're a walking lie detector too, huh?"

"Yep, just like how I can tell you guys are also hiding something from Shuichi and me," Kokichi had a small smirk on his face as he looked at Rantaro and me in the eye. "But it's fine if you don't tell me what you're hiding. It's more fun to figure it out yourself later."

"...Right," I uttered, glancing over towards Rantaro.

"Is there anything else we should look over in this classroom?" Rantaro suddenly asked.

"Oh, I do! I've always thought the books up there were looking really suspicious. I'm going to climb up the ladder and investigate some stuff," Kokichi declared as he jogged over to the ladder and started climbing.

Rantaro motioned for me to step closer to him with his index finger, which I complied.

"About the shot-pull ball...we saw it falling from above my head, right?" He whispered.

"Right, but there's only one shot put ball lying here," I pointed out in a hushed voice. "So that ball lying there must have been the same ball that we saw tumbling down from the ceiling."

"There's a high chance it was the same person who tried to kill me that murdered Kirumi in the end, since the only person who knows about this plan would be the killer themselves," Rantaro explained.

"Huh? Wait a minute...what did you just say?" I asked, feeling a sense of dread pooling in my stomach.

"What I mean is...the real target for this murder case was probably me," Rantaro dropped a bombshell on me, making me gape.

"W-What? So that shot put falling at that moment wasn't a coincidence?" I was utterly baffled at his suggestion.

"Someone was trying to kill me with that first shot, but they failed, since you walked in and turned my attention towards you instead," Rantaro explained.

"Attention?" my eyebrows scrunched up.

"I saw the flash of a camera and walked closer to that bookshelf Kirumi's lying in front of. If you didn't distract me from it, most likely, I would have been hit by that shot-put ball," Rantaro clenched his fists.

"...Holy fuck," I swore under my breath. "So I literally saved your life."

"I believe you did. You have my utmost gratitude for that," Rantaro dryly chuckled. "But let me ask you this. If that camera was a trap to lure me closer to that bookshelf...who would you suspect out of the other students?"

"...No way. It can't be," I shook my head in disbelief.

Rantaro only nodded, confirming my thoughts. "Exactly. It would have to be either Shuichi or Kaede who set up the cameras."

"Fuck. Just...fuck," I buried my face in my hands as I groaned. "This is a nightmare."

"I wish it was only a nightmare. Unfortunately, it's the reality we have to face," Rantaro muttered, clenching his fists tightly in silent fury.

"But wait, there's still a chance that someone else could have known about their plan, right? Maybe someone took advantage of their plan," I suggested, still in shock at the direction our investigation was pointing us to.

"There's also the chance that the mastermind knew about their plan by looking at the security cameras," Kokichi suddenly appeared out of nowhere, interjecting into our conversation.

"WHAT THE DUMP— how many times do I have to tell you to stop doing this?! My heart's going to die," I felt my heart thundering from the surprise.

"Nishishi, think of it as a payback for you, hurting my heart so much lately," Kokichi chuckled. "So, I was eavesdropping the whoooole time, but it seems like you've gotten yourself into quite the mess, Avocado-boy."

"I've learned my lesson this time around. I'm never stepping my foot inside this library again," Rantaro sheepishly laughed.

"I don't think that's the point..." I sweatdropped.

"Anyways, since I was eavesdropping on you guys, I found out a hugeeee loophole in your deduction, Mr. Green-head," Kokichi pointed his finger at Rantaro.

"...I don't know if I like that nickname more than the other one," Rantaro frowned, grimacing in displeasure.

"Nishishi~ focus, Rantaro. You too, Shiro-chan," Kokichi pointed towards me too. "So, Rantaro here was saying that since Kaede and Shuichi were the only ones who knew about the cameras, one of them must have been the one who attempted to murder him by luring Rantaro towards the hidden camera."

"Right," Rantaro agreed.

"But here's where you're wrong. We already know that the plan failed, since you're very much alive. So why do you still think the one who killed Kirumi was the same killer?"

"As I said, because those two were the only ones who knew about the plan, it must have been one of them. Whoever the killer was, they realized their plan failed and immediately set their sights on another target—" Rantaro started, only for Kokichi to cut him off.

"But even if that is true, _how_ exactly would they know their plan failed?" Kokichi's question struck Rantaro dumbfounded.

"...Wait a minute," I pondered to myself. "They would have no way of knowing their plan failed unless they came running down to check it themselves."

"Andddd even if they did, they would have had no time to kill Kirumi," Kokichi added. "Because six of you entered the library together."

"...That's true. But more importantly— Ah! I see," Rantaro's eyes lit up in realization. "Kaede and Shuichi were together the entire time after one of them attempted to kill me, so they couldn't have killed Kirumi later."

"Ding ding! You're absolutely correct! Regardless of the method of murder used on Avocado-boy, they can't use the same trick on Kirumi when a certain someone is _always_ beside them," Kokichi exclaimed in a sing-song voice. "Of course, we have to check with Shuichi whether that is _actually_ true or not..."

"But that means that _only_ the mastermind would have been able to kill Kirumi, since they could just see how either Kaede or Shuichi's plan unfolded behind the security cameras and then act accordingly to kill Kirumi after discovering the failure of their plan," I pointed out. "Well, unless a third party knew about their plan."

"Which means...the killer who murdered Kirumi is different from the one who tried to kill me," Rantaro concluded, nodding in satisfaction.

"Mhm, and since Kaede and Shuichi had no chance to kill Kirumi, those two are definitely _not_ the mastermind. That is because the mastermind was the _only_ one who could take advantage of the first killer's plan by watching them through the security cameras. Therefore, by default, the mastermind must have been the one who killed Kirumi, which Kaede and Shuichi clearly didn't," Kokichi grinned, beaming with pride and joy.

"Furthermore, because the six of you were surrounding the library, that means that whoever murdered Kirumi must have done it from the outside somehow. Either that or they magically appeared inside the library and disappeared somehow, which sounds even more unlikely," Kokichi continued, a thoughtful look on his face. "Perhaps they simply used the same method either Kaede or Shuichi did."

"That does make sense...after all, either Kaede or Shuichi attempted to kill me by dropping a shot-put ball over my head. The mastermind could have copied their plan but used it on Kirumi instead," Rantaro agreed.

"Well, how's that for deduction? Was I amazing or what?" Kokichi boasted, tilting his chin up with his hands on his hips. "Maybe I should become the Ultimate Detective instead, nishishi~."

There was a long and awkward moment of silence as both Rantaro, and I stood in awe at Kokichi's display of genius. He wasn't the Ultimate Detective. In fact, he was quite _literally_ the opposite of that.

But he was a **_genius_**.

His logic was almost entirely perfect. It was a delightful surprise to me that a boy who always joked around, someone who never seemed to take this killing game seriously, was actually such a great asset. And for the first time since I've been trapped inside the academy, I felt genuinely proud.

"Yeah," I started, catching Kokichi and Rantaro by surprise. A somewhat proud look was on my face as I stared at Kokichi with appreciation in my eyes. "You are seriously amazing, Kokichi."

He jolted, eyes widened. "H-Huh? I thought you would've slapped me in the head by now for acting all cocky."

I shook my head. "But it's the truth. You're smart, and that was a brilliant deduction. Seriously, you have my respect. Thanks for the input."

"U-Uh," Kokichi stumbled as he took a step back. His eyes were dazed as he had a dumbfounded and innocent look on his face. His eyebrows were scrunching up in awkward directions, and his lips were wobbling as if he were unsure how to react to my honest compliments. Fidgeting in discomfiture, he muttered out a word of thanks. "I guess, thanks? A-Anyways, look at this over here. I have something else to show you. It's about how Rantaro was almost killed by that shot-put ball..."

Kokichi frantically headed back to the ladder, the rim of his ears slightly tinged in pink as he motioned for us to follow him, a distorted smile on his face. Rantaro stifled an amused snort as he stepped closer to Kokichi who was anything but his usual confident self.

"I see, someone is weak towards honest compliments, huh?" Rantaro teased as Kokichi groaned, slamming a fist into Rantaro's stomach, though it had no strength behind it.

"Shut it already," Kokichi grumbled, angry at himself for letting his facade slip. "Avocados should just stay quiet like the fruit they are."

I stood silently on the sideline, watching Kokichi and Rantaro who were engaging in a deep conversation about the murder.

Even though I had been previously so shaken by Kirumi's death, it was as if the fear had dissipated entirely into thin air. This was just the calm before the storm - and I knew it. I truly did. But for once, there was a spring to my steps as I walked closer to the other two.

Perhaps it was because I had spent my time in the Ultimate Academy with Rantaro and Kokichi the most, but it felt almost natural to blend in with them. Although I should be suspecting everyone else, I couldn't help but let my guard down.

For once, I felt safe, and that fact truly scared me, because it meant that I had begun to accept this strange killing game as normalcy.

As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was having a ludicrous amount of fun.

Even if someone had just died, even if our lives were still in danger, even if this Ultimate Academy was anything but safe, I was actually genuinely enjoying my time with the other students.

An almost inhuman grin stretched across my face as I listened to Kokichi and Rantaro arguing about the clues.

 _We'll be fine...we'll get through this together_...

Yeah, I was having a ludicrous amount of fun.

And I hoped it never ended.

* * *

It would be a complete lie to say that Kaede was not freaking out right now.

Shirayuki and Rantaro's actions were completely unaccounted for in her plans. They weren't supposed to be there. The mastermind was supposed to be the only one who went to the library that evening, and the killing game was supposed to have ended — it was that simple...

And yet they were all in this huge mess because her stupid plan failed.

Kaede was still dumbfounded by the events that had transpired. She placed blind faith in Shuichi's deductions and created a masterful plan to end the killing game, and yet all of these unknown variables got in her way.

Of course, she was upset that her plan failed — that she was unable to end the killing game.

But an even more horrendous thought was torturing her: the fact that she had accidentally killed an _innocent_ young woman.

Kirumi was clearly not the mastermind, and she had murdered her in cold blood.

It was all her fault that Kirumi had died.

She remembered back to her conversation with Shirayuki and Rantaro, about them being in the library. What if she had accidentally killed them too? The one who opened the bookcase ended up being Rantaro, so the shot-put ball would've been rolling towards him when she threw it down the vent...

And yet Rantaro was alive, and Kirumi was dead instead.

Perhaps Rantaro left before the ball came sliding down and Kirumi just happened to be under Rantaro's spot when the shot-put came rolling down. She still had no idea how Rantaro survived. Even more disturbing, she had no idea how Kirumi managed to slip her way into the library in the first place.

But none of that mattered to her right now.

It was one of the two — either Rantaro or Kirumi — who would have died today from her reckless plan.

And Kirumi just happened to draw the short end of the stick.

Kaede found herself shaking uncontrollably at the thought. She realized now, far too late, that her plan was doomed to fail — and the reason was so simple.

She often spoke beautiful words of hope, but her actions contradicted all of her own beliefs.

Shuichi had put in a tremendous amount of effort to end the killing game. Now, she knew that Rantaro was also searching for his own way to end the game. Shirayuki had managed to discover the hidden bookcase, all by herself. Kokichi stumbled upon the secret and had been lending his help to Shirayuki the entire time.

In the end, she did nothing useful to end the game. Her plans were all built upon everyone else's hard work and effort.

But even worse, her plan was built on the belief that Shuichi's plans would _fail_.

She didn't truly believe in him, and that was what _pained_ her the most.

For the first time in her life, Kaede felt utterly powerless.

What was she thinking, killing someone to end the game? She played right into Monokuma's trap. Even though everyone else had worked so hard to stop the killing game using peaceful means, she just had to destroy it all.

Kaede felt the guilt, regret, and despair swallowing her whole — but there was no time for self-loathing. She had to do it. She had to find out who the mastermind was.

And she'd even use the class trial to do so.

It was the least she could do to atone for Kirumi's death.

* * *

"...So, am I looking at what I _think_ I'm looking at?" I peered down at Kokichi, who was whistling a tune to himself at the bottom of the ladder.

"Nishishi, yep! It's what caused that shot-put to roll down towards Rantaro," Kokichi replied, tilting his head up to look at the arrangement of books. "The shot-put came out of the vent and—"

"Hey, keep your head looking down, you brat."

"Oh, oops. Sorry! I didn't see anything~"

"Ok, good."

"I mean, even if I did, I wouldn't feel anything—"

"NO COMMENTS, PLEASE."

"Nishishi, okay mom!"

"How many times do I have to say this, but I'm not your mom!"

Rantaro sighed, rolling his eyes at our childish arguments. Being the gentleman he was, Rantaro was standing a few steps away from the ladder, leaning against a bookshelf while facing the opposite end of the library.

"I wonder if Shuichi was the one who stacked the books like so," I pondered, slowly climbing down the ladder. "He seems smart enough to do so."

Kokichi waggled his index finger in front of my face as I reached the library floor. "Nu-uh, don't underestimate Kaede. She seems to be the meticulous and organized type, so she could have created this elaborate plan too."

"Without further evidence or discussion, we have no way of knowing whether Kaede or Shuichi attempted to kill me," Rantaro shook his head.

"You're right. We can leave the rest to discover when the trial starts," I nodded in understanding.

 **[Stacked Books has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

 **[Library Vent has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

"By the way, there's something that I've been wondering about," Rantaro suddenly spoke up, turning our attention to him.

"Hm? What's wrong, avocado boy?" Kokichi teased.

Rantaro sweatdropped, lightly brushing his bangs away from his face. "I'm starting to hate that nickname..."

"I think it's cool," I gave him a thumbs up, though he just shot me an annoyed glare.

"Nishishi~ so, what were you wondering about?" Kokichi asked again.

"Where were you before the murder? Were you in your dorm room?" Rantaro cocked his head to the side in inquiry.

"Oh yeah, we never established that fact," I placed a hand onto my chin in a thoughtful manner. "I assumed you were in your dorm room."

"Nah, I wasn't. I was actually here in the library killing Kirumi!" Kokichi suddenly confessed, pointing a finger at himself.

Rantaro facepalmed as I groaned loudly, reaching my arm over towards Kokichi's head. I grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked, making him yelp in pain as he frantically swatted my hand away. His eyes were slightly damp with tears as he stared daggers at me. "Shiro-chan, that seriously hurt you know?"

I scoffed, crossing my arms together. "Good. I hope you've learned your lesson now."

"But I was telling the truth~" Kokichi continued to tease.

"Kokichi..." Rantaro, who was usually the calm and collected one in our group, shot Kokichi a threatening and tired glare. The dim lighting in the library cast a dark shadow over his features. "Please cooperate."

Kokichi winced, though I had no idea whether he was actually intimidated or not. He pouted, dragging his feet against the floor as he staggered over towards me. Grabbing me by the arm, he slid himself behind me, popping his head out to look at Rantaro. "Wow, you can give a terrifying look when you want to."

"It's your fault for being a lying brat all the time," I attempted to pull my arm out from his grasp.

Kokichi only clung onto my arm harder. "Okay, okay, don't be so annoyed at me!"

"Then hurry up and tell us where you were," I glared at him.

"I was napping in my room!" Kokichi confessed, much to my surprise.

I raised a dubious eyebrow at his remark. "...Napping? You were sleeping?"

Kokichi nodded furiously as if to reinforce the truth behind his statement. "Yeah, I was all exhausted from our talk in the afternoon. So, I decided to take a short nap!"

"A nap? Even though it was 10:00 pm?" Rantaro's eyes were still filled to the brim with suspicion.

"I needed my beauty sleep, okay?" Kokichi shrugged, making me scoff.

"You're the last one those words should be coming out of," I grimaced, making him snicker.

"Nishishi, I'm a normal human being too, you know. I need rest," Kokichi commented.

"No, you're just a frickin' gnome," I bluntly stated.

"Wha— a gnome? Why can't I be something cooler?!" Kokichi protested, jabbing a finger at my forehead.

"Ow— a gnome is more than good enough for a troll like you!" I screamed, attempting to grab his head again, though Kokichi dodged effortlessly to the side.

"Too bad, you missed!" Kokichi chimed, sticking out his tongue at me.

My eyes twitched as I took a step towards him, my hands in the form of fists. "Oh, you brat— get your ass over here!"

"Okay, stop!" Rantaro yelled, moving himself in between us. He placed a hand on both our shoulders and forcefully turned us towards him. "If you start bickering again, I swear I'm leaving."

"Hey! He started it!" I frowned, pointing an accusing finger at Kokichi.

Kokichi only laughed harder. "Wow, you sound like an elementary school kid."

I whipped my head towards him and snarled. "Oh yeah? Well not only do you sound like one, but you also _look_ like one."

"...Wow, that actually stung quite a bit, Shiro-chan," for the first time that evening, Kokichi actually sounded serious as a blank look of silent fury made its way up onto his face. "Have you forgotten that you're only a tad taller than I am?"

"Hate to break it to you guys," Rantaro rolled his eyes. "But you _both_ sound and look like kindergarten students."

"Well, you look like a frickin' avocado!" Kokichi and I yelled in harmony as Rantaro's eyes twitched.

"Like I said..." Rantaro's eyes were flaring with annoyance and unrestrained fury. "I'm not very fond of that nickname, so would you two please stop—"

 _*Ding Dong Bing Bong*_

Our attention immediately turned to the monitor screen. The screen flashed briefly as an image of Monokuma sipping on a glass of champagne appeared. "Alright! It's time for what you've been waiting for—the class trial! Please assemble in front of the Shrine of Judgment in the courtyard! Remember that red door surrounded by plants? It's just on the other side! From there, you'll be escorted to a delightful class trial. Upupupu, see you all there!"

The screen turned dark as Monokuma's announcement came to an end.

"...Well, fuck," I cursed. "We haven't investigated the other areas yet."

"Aw, I wonder if we can ask for more time?" Kokichi frowned.

Rantaro clicked his tongue once, sighing in exasperation. "And exactly whose fault is it that we ran out of time?"

"...Sorry," I muttered out an apology. "Anyways, guess we should meet up with the others. Shuichi probably got the photos by now, so we should go check it out before the trial officially starts."

"Let's hurry out of here," Rantaro was the first to lead us out of the library as Kokichi and I trailed after him.

"It's that building in the garden that looks like a birdcage, right?" I asked for clarification as we walked up the stairs.

"Yep! I wonder who designed it? It's very befitting of this killing game!" Kokichi chuckled.

"What do you mean?" I turned to look at him as we reached the first floor.

"I mean, we're quite literally birds in a cage, right? Trapped inside this hugeeeee birdcage, we're being forced to play the killing game!" Kokichi chimed.

"If we manage to find out who the mastermind is, then we can leave though," Rantaro mentioned as we headed over towards the front gate.

"Oh, wait, you guys go on ahead," I suddenly spoke up.

Rantaro and Kokichi turned to me, raising their eyebrows. "Hm? Is there somewhere else you need to go?" Rantaro asked.

I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head, jerking my head towards the dining hall area. "Oh, uh, nothing. I just figured that the trial is going to be quite long and tiring so...I kind of want a quick bathroom break?"

Rantaro sweatdropped. "Seriously? Right now?"

Kokichi suddenly shot his hand up into the air. "Oh, me too! I need to go for a real quick bathroom session!"

Rantaro facepalmed, shaking his head in disbelief. He waved a dismissive hand at us, sighing loudly. "Alright, alright. You kids can go take a quick bathroom break. I'll head over first to the Shrine of Judgment and get Shuichi's photos, okay?"

"Sure, see you in a bit," I answered, waving as he spun around and left the main building.

"Race you to the bathroom!" Kokichi suddenly yelled as he took a quick dash towards the men's toilet.

"Oh, you fuckin—" I started cursing as I ran after him.

Kokichi just continued laughing down the hallway before he disappeared into the men's toilet. I reached the ladies toilet a tad slower than him. I bumped my head lightly against the door and sighed.

 _God, I'm completely swept up in Kokichi's pace..._

I opened the door to the female's toilet and treaded inside, heading towards an open stall...

When I spot something bizarre about the bathroom.

"...Huh?" I found myself absentmindedly tracing my hand along the door of the supply closet. "Why is this door slightly crooked?"

Filled with curiosity, I found myself opening the door. I peered inside the supply closet, only to find that all the cleaning supplies had been strewn about all over the floor. I frowned, kicking one of the brooms with my feet. "Did Monokuma forget to tidy up the supply closet or something? Why is it so messy?"

Before I closed the door, I spotted some markings on the floor towards the end of the supply closet.

 _Huh...now, where have I seen similar engravings before?_

 **[Supply Closet Door has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

"Hey, are you done yet?" Kokichi's voice coming from outside the female toilet made me jump in surprise. "The trial's going to start soon so you should hurry~."

"I-I'll be there in a second! You can go first!" I yelled out loud.

After hearing Kokichi's receding footsteps, I quickly ran into a bathroom stall, clenching my fists.

 _Guess it really is about to begin, huh? Whoever it was that killed Kirumi...I'll never forgive them. The mastermind is within our group. I don't think I'll ever be fully prepared to find out who that person is, but I have to, for Kirumi— no, for all our sakes._

 _I'll fight to the end of this deadly class trial...and I'll end this killing game!_


	11. Chapter 10: Trial 1 Part 1

**A/N:** I hope you guys are ready to put your thinking caps on because this entire chapter is going to be about the trial and it'll be quite logical. I didn't want to split the trial into too many chapters since it'll just confuse everyone, so I'll try to mash it up into **three** parts.

As always, I enjoy reading your reviews, as they motivate me. So comment if you have any concerns, criticisms, or anything else to say!

* * *

 **[Chapter 10: Trial 1 Part 1]**

"Ahem, now then, let's begin with a basic explanation of the trial," Monokuma exclaimed from his seat on the red throne. "During the trial, you'll present your arguments for who the culprit is and vote for them. If you vote correctly then-"

"Alright, alright, we get it, okay?" Kokichi interjected Monokuma's explanation, causing everyone to turn their attention to him, partially in surprise and partially in fear for his wellbeing. "Geez, I'm pretty sure we don't need a reminder. Everyone has already read the rules carefully, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Kaito sweatdropped. "We don't want to die after all. We know how this works."

"Do you, really?" Maki blandly stared at Kaito with both suspicion and mockery whirling in her eyes.

"Upupupu~ in a hurry to start, aren't ya, Kokichi?" Monokuma guffawed, clasping his belly. "Well, I don't mind getting the show running as soon as possible. Let's just start already then!"

"Hell yeah," Monosuke cheered from the sidelines. "Beat the crap out of each other!"

"I don't think that's how the trial works, darling," Monophanie sweatdropped.

"..." Monodam stood silently in the corner as usual.

"Right, so where do we start? I don't really know how trials work," Kaito rubbed the back of his head.

"I don't think any of us knows how a trial really works," Himiko grumbled to herself as she played around with the hem of her dress, obviously uninterested in the trial itself. "Can we just finish this already?"

"Finish?! We haven't even started yet!" Kiibo gaped.

"Shut up, you degenerate male! No talking out of order!" Tenko screamed, pointing a finger at Kiibo, who only whimpered in dejection.

"S-Sorry..." Kiibo pouted, fiddling with his fingers.

Rantaro sweatdropped. "This...isn't really starting out well, is it?"

I facepalmed, rolling my eyes. "No shit, Sherlock."

Rantaro was standing about four podiums away from me. Kokichi was on my right, while Tenko was on my left. I glanced towards Rantaro's seat. Feeling my eyes on him, he turned towards me and nodded.

Before the trial started, Kokichi had suggested that we keep quiet about Rantaro's supposed murder, in order to drag out the true mastermind. If we let the trial move along as if Kaede or Shuichi were the suspects, then we might be able to cause the mastermind to slip. After all, anyone who ends up excessively framing the two would rise up as our prime suspect of the mastermind.

"Well then, might I offer the first topic of interest?" Korekiyo suddenly uttered, catching everyone's attention.

"Huh? What the hell are you getting ahead of yourself for? You want this shit to start that badly, huh?!" Miu accused.

"C-Calm down, guys," Kaede stammered.

"Atua has spoken...He says it is vital that we hear everyone's testimonies," Angie loosely hung her arms on her side, smiling serenely with her eyes closed.

"There's something that I found curious..." Korekiyo continued his line of thought, ignoring everyone else completely. "Why, did the culprit refuse to take advantage of the First Blood Perk?"

"Ah, yes. I thought that was quite strange too!" Tsumugi agreed.

"I bet they just wanted to do a class trial real badly," Ryoma theorized.

"That means...the culprit must have been the mastermind behind this killing game!" Tenko cheered. "Whichever one of you degenerate males it is, raise your hand up high and confess to your sins now!"

"And who would be stupid enough to do that...?" Maki rolled her eyes, sighing in exasperation.

"Hey, how do we know it wasn't Monokuma who murdered Kirumi?" Miu pointed her finger at Monokuma. "This pedobear here could have easily killed any one of us!"

"Upupupu~ of course not! As the rules say, I will never have a hand in any of the killings that occur here in the Ultimate Academy!"

"Then it must be one of us, huh?" Ryoma deduced.

"It's Kii-boy here! Everyone believes so!" Kokichi snickered, swinging back and forth on the sole of his feet.

"H-Huh? R-Really? What did I do?!" Kiibo gaped in horror.

I sighed loudly, shooting a warning glare at Kokichi. "Relax, Kiibo. He's just messing with you."

"Before we talk about the mastermind, let's identify the culprit of this case first," Rantaro suggested. "Then, we can determine whether the mastermind and the culprit are one and the same."

"Let's talk about the sequence of events first then," Shuichi offered. "Some of us here were not present in the building at the time of the murder, after all. It would be nice to recap for those people."

"Gonta agree with Shuichi! Shuichi is Ultimate Detective, after all!" Gonta nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay. Let's review the incident that led up to Kirumi's death!" Kaede declared.

* * *

 **{Nonstop Debate}**

"Kirumi's body was found just before the time limit, right?" Tenko asked for clarification.

"She was killed in the library," Korekiyo elaborated.

"Kirumi was alone in the library, so the culprit could have snuck up on her!" Angie declared in a cheery manner.

"What was she even doing in the library, anyway?" Ryoma questioned.

"Well, she must have been following after the culprit who opened the hidden bookshelf door!" Kaito exclaimed. "Once the culprit was caught redhanded, he or she killed Kirumi in a hurry!"

"So the culprit is the mastermind, huh?" Himiko drawled.

"According to the photos taken, Rantaro entered the library first through the rear entrance. Soon later, Shirayuki also entered through the same exact entrance. Then, we see Kirumi entering through the front entrance of the library, though we aren't sure yet why she went there," Kiibo flipped through the photos.

"Anyways, since they were the only ones in the library at the time, the culprit is either Rantaro or Shirayuki!" Kaito yelled out with confidence.

As if on cue, Kaede countered. "No, that's wrong!"

 **{Argument Break: Shirayuki's Account}**

* * *

"It's not possible for them to be the culprit!" Kaede shook her head.

"Huh? Why? They're the only ones who interacted with Kirumi in the library, right?" Kaito argued.

"Shirayuki's words tell us the opposite, though," Kaede turned towards me, gesturing for me to speak with her hand. "Isn't that right, Shirayuki?"

I nodded. "It's true that both Rantaro and I entered the library. However, we didn't see Kirumi at all."

"W-What? But how is that possible?! No one else entered the library after Kirumi...so it must have been one of you guys who were in there before her!" Kaito continued to argue.

"I'm not quite sure yet either," Rantaro jumped into the conversation. "It is, however, an undeniable truth that both Shirayuki and I did not see Kirumi enter at all. In fact, both of us left the library together soon after those photos were taken."

"Is that true, Shirayuki?" Kiibo asked.

"We have no reason to lie, right?" I shrugged. "It's true."

"How do we know you're not covering for each other's asses, huh?!" Miu accused.

"There's no benefit to being an accomplice. Only the one who actually commits the murder gets a chance to leave," Rantaro gestured towards Monokuma. "Isn't that right?"

"Upupupu, he's absolutely correct! Even if a number of you team up to murder someone, only the one who does the actual killing gets to be the blackened!" Monokuma clarified.

"I-I see...so it's not possible for these two dimwits to kill Kirumi," Miu blushed in embarrassment.

"And the both of you were together the entire time after that?" Korekiyo narrowed his eyes at us.

"Yeah, we were still hanging around in front of the library," I answered. "Shuichi came running down to see the both of us together, so he can verify for us."

"It's probably true," Shuichi nodded in agreement.

"Wait, so why did you two enter the library, to begin with?" Ryoma questioned. "And Rantaro, you opened that hidden bookshelf, didn't you? The evidence is shown in the hidden door photos."

"T-That's right! How did you know about the hidden door if you aren't the mastermind?!" Kaito pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Actually, I knew about that hidden bookshelf too," I raised my hand as Kaito gaped.

"Oh, uh, both Shuichi and I knew about it too. That's why we set up the cameras, remember?" Kaede stated.

"...I forgot about that. Sorry," Kaito slumped down onto his podium in embarrassment.

"Kekeke, it appears that the true mastermind has done a poor job at concealing their hidden territory. After all, four different students managed to discover the entrance to their lair," Korekiyo chuckled, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Make that five because I knew about it too!" Kokichi waved his hand in the air.

"But then...how did Kirumi get killed? There's not a single picture in here that shows the real culprit," Tsumugi scrunched her eyebrows up in confusion.

"That is true...if Rantaro and Shirayuki who entered the library before Kirumi aren't the culprits, then it must be whoever entered after!" Tenko spoke up.

"As I said, there aren't any photos of anyone entering _after_ Kirumi..." Tsumugi sweatdropped.

"I don't think anyone entered after Kirumi," Shuichi started, turning everyone's attention towards him. "I was in the lookout classroom with Kaede the entire time and we didn't see anyone running down after Shirayuki."

"But you didn't see Kirumi, didn't you?" Ryoma mentioned. "Then there's a chance you also missed someone else too."

"Oh, uh...that's...true," Shuichi muttered, pulling his cap down to cover his face. "Perhaps I should have done a better job..."

"Don't worry, Shuichi. I also didn't hear a single thing!" Kaede chuckled lightheartedly.

"And why are you so proud of that fact?" Maki sighed in exasperation.

"But to think Kirumi was able to make her way past Shuichi without him noticing...maybe she's actually a secret government agent!" Kokichi beamed, amused at the thought.

"Wait, but Rantaro and I were standing in front of the rear entrance of the library the whole time after we came out," I pointed out, ignoring Kokichi's incredulous claim. "If someone else came in after Kirumi, we would have seen them, no?"

"What if Kirumi didn't enter the library alone?" Kokichi said, making me turn to him in surprise.

"Huh?" I stared confusedly at him.

"Like I said, what if Kirumi was actually _with_ the culprit when she entered the library?" Kokichi deduced.

"Then why aren't they in the photos? Kirumi's photo was taken, right? So if she was with someone else, why aren't they showing up in the evidence?" Rantaro asked.

"That's easy! It's because there must be blind-spots in the cameras!" Kokichi exclaimed.

"I see...if there were blind spots in the camera, then the person who knew about them could sneak their way into the library without having their photo taken," Ryoma hummed in agreement.

"Poor Kirumi had no idea of the cameras, so she must have entered blindly," Korekiyo laughed. "Unlike our culprit who must have prolonged their entrance in order to disappear from the photos."

"That means that whoever the culprit was, they knew about Kaede and Shuichi's plans," Angie chimed in.

"Huh? Really?" Kaede gasped, completely taken back by the direction the trial was heading in.

"This case may have become the perfect crime, thanks to your hidden cameras," Korekiyo explained. "The culprit knew about your trap and exploited it in order to commit the perfect crime."

"So after the culprit lured Kirumi and murdered her fuckin' ass, they used Kaediot and Poo-ichi's hidden cameras to arrange the perfect crime!" Miu declared.

"W-Wait, so this crime is unsolvable?" Tsumugi stammered. "W-What do we do?"

"Don't give up just yet! We already believe that the culprit is the mastermind, right? We just need to work together to find the mastermind! Then we can end this killing game," Kaede slammed her hands onto the podium.

"You yap about teamwork and all that, but you still think one of us is the mastermind..." Kokichi started a sly and devious smirk on his face.

"Yes, I know..." Kaede grabbed her left arm, staring off towards the side. "But...but I want to end all of the horrible things that are happening to us!" her voice raised up a notch. "I'll defeat the mastermind and end this killing game! And I'll even use the class trial to do it!"

"...Nishishi," Kokichi started to laugh. "Looks like you're determined to face the cold and hard truth..."

"...Kokichi, what are you up to?" I found myself voicing out, eyes narrowing with suspicion.

 _Is this guy going to lie his way through the trial, just to dig out the true mastermind?_

"Oh, nothing much, Shiro-chan! I just found out who the culprit is!" Kokichi suddenly announced, arms spread wide in a majestic manner, catching everyone else by surprise.

 _...Nevermind, that was a dumb rhetorical question. Of-fucking-course he would totally lie his way through it all._

"Kokichi! Are you serious about knowing who the culprit is?" Kaito gaped.

"Yup! Soooo we all agree that the culprit knew about Kaede and Shuichi's trap, right?" Kokichi drawled out, eying a certain girl with suspicion.

"No shit! That's why they're not in any of the pictures," Miu rolled her eyes.

"So whoever knew about the hidden cameras is the culprit!" Kokichi continued, grinning widely as his eyes twinkled with amusement.

"So who the hell is it?!" Miu growled in impatience.

"It's you!" Kokichi pointed an accusing finger at Miu.

"...HUH?! MOI?!" Miu screeched, pulling the strands of her hair in shock.

"You made the cameras used for the trap, riiiight?" Kokichi snickered. "Obviously, whoever made the cameras knew about their blind spots!"

"B-But I didn't know where they were going to place the cameras! I just...I just designed them!" Miu's face was now pale as a ghost as she frantically came up with an explanation of her innocence. "I-I knew nothing about their plan!"

"Hm~ if someone told me to make cameras, I'd definitely ask them what they were going to use it for," Kokichi brought up.

"How come you never asked what the cameras were for? Huh? HUH? HUH?" Angie swung back and forth as she cornered Miu with her piercing question.

"I...well I was tired from pulling an allnighter before...so I just...sort of passed out...?" Miu attempted to explain herself.

"You're getting awfully worked up. Look at you, sweating buckets like that!" Kokichi laughed.

"I'm always wet! I'm just feelin' extra sensitive, like these big boobs of mine..." Miu flushed as she hugged herself.

I grimaced at her words, mentally throwing up. _Someone needs to stop this woman from making sexual innuendos._

* * *

 **{Nonstop Debate: Agreement}**

"Why don't you just admit it already?" Kokichi smirked. "You're the culprit, aren't you, Miu?"

"N-No way! That's...t-that's not possible!" Miu stuttered, shaking like a newborn puppy.

"So you knew nothing about the trap in the library?" Kiibo asked.

"I'm telling you I had no idea! Not that it matters," Miu glared at everyone. "Cuz I never went to the library, okay?!"

"The person who made the cameras would have known the blind spots too," Ryoma added.

"Yeah, well, I didn't make the cameras either!" Miu started spouting nonsense, much to my dismay.

"Can your lie not be any more obvious than that?" I deadpanned.

As soon as I finished speaking, Kaede interjected. "You never went to the library? I agree with that!"

 **{Consent Break: Korekiyo's Account}**

* * *

"I don't think Miu went to the basement at all! Right, Kiyo?" Kaede smiled as Korekiyo nodded.

"Of course, she didn't. She was in the dining hall with me during the time of the murder, after all," Korekiyo replied.

"Y-You fuckin' slug! Why didn't you say that earlier?!" Miu scowled. "Good job, Kaede! Guess I shouldn't have judged you by your lackluster rack."

"Nishishi, and now you're acting all haughty again?" Kokichi, unfazed by his argument falling apart, continued on grinning.

"Hey, you're one to talk! You just put my ass in the hot seat earlier," Miu screamed in anger. "How 'bout you just keep your fuckin' mouth shut, you lying little abortion!"

I couldn't help but gasp in horror at her harsh words. Towards my right, I heard a loud whimper and I immediately spun my head towards Kokichi. Despite the chance that it could be a lie, there was no doubt that he didn't take in Miu's words very well.

"Wha-!? T-That was really...uncalled for...I only said that to find the culprit!" Kokichi's eyes started to fill up with tears as his lips wobbled. The next second, he was bawling his eyes out. His crocodile tears came flowing faster than I had yet seen since my stay at the Ultimate Academy. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! YOU'RE SO MEANNNNNN!"

Seeing his reaction, I couldn't help but slam my hand against my podium in anger. I whipped my head towards Miu and mustered up the fiercest glare that I could manage. "Hey, to borrow your words, you fucking bitch. That was a disgusting blow. You don't ever say something like that to anyone else again, no matter who they are or what they've done, is that clear?!"

Miu immediately cowered away in fear at the intensity of my gaze. She whimpered and bowed her head down against the podium, shivering. "O-Okay, I'm s-sorry! I'll never do it again!"

"You better keep to your words," I huffed, crossing my arms in frustration. "If you don't want to be called a disgusting pig, then act like you aren't."

There was a long moment of silence after my declaration.

"...Wow, you know my tears were fake, right?" Kokichi suddenly pointed out blankly, loud enough for everyone else to hear.

"I don't care. No one should ever say something that inhumane," I spatted out, clicking my tongue in annoyance.

"My, you really are a fiery one, aren't you?" Korekiyo's eyes twinkled with amusement. "That sense of justice is very admirable."

"I-I didn't think you were the type of person to swear," Tenko stammered, staring at me with awe in her eyes.

"Actually, I thought she was one of the quieter ones of the bunch..." I heard Kaito mutter to himself.

"It seems we haven't learned enough about each other's true personalities yet..." Ryoma shook his head.

"Trust me, you don't want to know better..." Rantaro trailed off, a smug grin on his face.

I scowled. "Oh, shut up already. I just can't let a remark like that pass so easily."

"Awww, thanks for caring about my wellbeing! I'm fine now, all thanks to you, Shiro-chan~" Kokichi swooned as he reached over his podium and patted me on the head, which I swatted away almost immediately on reflex.

"Uh, guys? The trial is still ongoing..." Kaede's meek voice made everyone snap their attention back to the matter at hand.

"Oh, right. The trial. Yeah. So, what were we saying again?" Kaito asked.

Maki facepalmed. "Seriously? That's what you're going to ask? What have you been doing all this time, sleeping while standing?"

"H-Hey! That was uncalled for! I was just...you know...a little confused about what everyone's saying!" Kaito defended.

"You mean to say you couldn't follow the conversation, is that it?" Korekiyo raised an eyebrow.

Kaito sweatdropped. "Well...I mean...kind of..."

"Nyahaha! Someone's brain isn't working as properly as it should be!" Angie cackled as she twirled around on her podium.

"S-Shut up!" Kaito yelled as he attempted to climb over the podium in anger.

The courtroom descended into chaos as everyone tried to calm Kaito down. Rantaro and Ryoma sighed as they shook their heads in exasperation. Maki was rolling her eyes as she shot condescending remarks at Kaito. Everyone else just looked around at each other, unsure of what to do.

Taking advantage of the brief moment of pandemonium, I reached over to Kokichi's podium and tapped his shoulder. Almost immediately, he turned around to me, a curious look on his face.

"Hm? What's up, Shiro-chan?" Kokichi cocked his head to the side.

"What on earth are you doing, calling Miu out as the culprit? We all know the mastermind is the true culprit, since the only person who could've killed Kirumi was someone who watched what transpired in the library and took advantage of either Kaede's or Shuichi's plan after it failed," I started, whispering in a hushed voice to make sure that no one else could eavesdrop. "The cameras might have something to do with Kaede's or Shuichi's plan, but it had nothing to do with the mastermind's murder, right?"

"Of course I know that. I'm not dumb," Kokichi frowned, leaning closer to me so that I could hear him better over the chaos. "I just wanted to make sure that only the mastermind could see what happened in the library."

"Huh? What are you talking about? The only way anyone could tell Kaede or Shuichi's plan failed was through the monitors, so only the mastermind could've done it," I scrunched my eyebrows up in confusion.

"What if Miu did something to the cameras Kaede and Shuichi used?" Kokichi pointed out. "If she created some function in the camera that transferred video footage over to her, she could see what happened in the library, right? Not only that, if she really did create some blind spots in the cameras, then anyone who knows about them could create the perfect crime."

I froze, realizing that Kokichi was making a good point. "That's...true."

"You mentioned the possibility of a third party earlier and Miu has a high chance of being that third party. If there was such a function, then our deduction that only the mastermind could have committed Kirumi's murder falls apart immediately. Miu might have been the culprit, even though she isn't the mastermind. And if she told anyone about the camera functions, they could, in turn, take advantage of Kaede's or Shuichi's plan too," Kokichi continued his explanation.

"Fuck, my head hurts," I groaned, grabbing my head in pain. "But what about the motive? Didn't this murder occur because the mastermind wanted the killing game to start?" I questioned.

Kokichi stared blankly at me. "You're forgetting something, Shiro-chan. There was a deadly time limit that awaited us tonight. What if someone panicked and just went for the kill over that?"

"...Oh shit," I swore under my breath. "I totally forgot that motive."

"Exactly. Our deduction that the mastermind is the killer is all based on the fact that the security cameras were the only way someone could take advantage of the failure of Kaede or Shuichi's plan," Kokichi explained. "After all, if Kaede's or Shuichi's plans succeeded, the true culprit would have no need to dirty their own hands, right? So we need to make this clear now, whether there were any additional functions in the cameras."

"...Right. I'll ask her sometime later," I nodded in understanding.

Then, we both turned our attention back to the courtroom, which had now calmed down.

"I forgot to mention this, but Tsumugi was also in the dining hall, though she left to the bathroom for a minute or so," Korekiyo added. "Kirumi was also in the dining hall with us, though she ran out after Shirayuki."

"Wait, she ran after me?" I spun around to him, eyes widening.

"Yes. Perhaps, if you didn't run out then without any explanation, she wouldn't have ended up going to the library," Korekiyo snorted. "And perhaps, she wouldn't have ended up dying too."

"...So, you're saying it was partially my fault?" I mumbled, feeling a sudden wave of nausea.

"Hey! Shut your mouth, you degenerate male! It wasn't Shirayuki's fault!" Tenko stood in an aikido stance as she gnarled at Korekiyo.

"Yeah! It was Kirumi's own choice to follow after her. Shirayuki did nothing wrong!" Kaito defended me, a confident grin on his face. "Don't worry too much, Shirayuki. If we find out who the culprit is, Kirumi can rest in peace!"

"You guys..." I felt comforted by their kind words. "Thanks."

"So, we can conclude that Korekiyo, Miu, and Tsumugi couldn't commit murder, right?" Angie counted three of her fingers. "Oh, also Shirayuki and Rantaro who were together the entire time."

"I believe so," Rantaro nodded.

"Alright then! You five can leave now!" Angie squealed, pushing her cheeks together.

"Wait, what?! Can they do that?" Gonta took a small step back.

"Of course not," Kiibo sweatdropped.

"Hey, so what about the swines who went to the basement?! They're all suspicious, right?" Miu proposed.

"When I was with Shuichi in the lookout classroom, I saw Kaito, Gonta, Maki, Tenko, Himiko, Angie, and Rantaro," Kaede started. "Well, Rantaro is off our list of suspects due to Shirayuki's account."

"So...the culprit has to be in that group, right?" Tsumugi crossed her arms.

"Nyeh...it wasn't me...I was half-sleeping then," Himiko looked off to the side, sighing.

"Kekeke, we could always torture the answer out of them," Korekiyo had a deadly glint in his eyes.

"W-Wait, please no! I actually have a very low tolerance for pain!" Tenko yelled, flapping her hands around in front of her in a defensive stance.

"Hm~ if the culprit is among that group, isn't Maki the most suspicious?" Kokichi suddenly suggested, folding his arms behind his back in a nonchalant manner. "Just look at her! She could definitely kill someone."

"Stop being stupid. The culprit could easily be anyone like Kaito," Maki closed her eyes.

"W-What are you t-talking about? There's no way I'm the culprit!" Kaito's face morphed into one of true terror. His eyes bulged out of his sockets as his mouth gaped open. Sweat was pouring down his face as he comically froze in place.

"If you aren't, then please don't act so surprised like that..." I facepalmed. "Now you look like you got caught redhanded."

"G-Gonta is gentleman! Gonta no murder anyone!" Gonta shook his head furiously.

"Murder sounds too much like trouble...it wasn't me," Himiko mumbled, pulling the rear of her hat down to cover her face.

"Who the hell is the culprit?!" Miu screamed, frantically looking for answers.

"Oh, great. Now everyone's talking all over each other..." I rolled my eyes, sighing.

"Nishishi~ the trial is reaaaaaally heating up now, huh?" Kokichi just chuckled, amused by the pandemonium.

"I can't hear anything like this," Shuichi sweatdropped, then turned to Kaede. "Kaede, if it's you, you can probably listen to everyone's arguments at once."

"A-Alright. I'll try my best!" Kaede pumped up her fists.

* * *

 **{Mass Panic Debate}**

"I'm not even a little bit suspicious," Himiko scoffed.

"I'll prove my innocence to you guys!" Tenko declared.

"I have an alibi, right~?" Angie chimed.

"What about that guy who called us down to the basement, to begin with?" Himiko pointed out.

"I would never punch a foe from behind!" Tenko added.

"Atua says I'm not the culprit~" Angie continued.

"Atua? Who's that?" Gonta questioned.

"Wait, are you talking about me?" Kaito panicked after hearing Himiko's statement.

"I would never do something so underhanded like punching someone outside of the ring!" Tenko screamed.

"Atua is not a person. He is a god!" Angie clasped her hands together and lifted one of her legs up in a yoga position.

"We were having a strategy meeting together, remember?!" Kaito exclaimed.

"So punching is allowed in Aikido?" Kiibo sweatdropped.

"Rantaro's the only one who left in the middle of it..." Kaito rubbed the back of his head.

"Yes! Neo-Aikido uses even wooden swords!" Tenko explained.

At that moment, Kaede pointed a finger at Kaito. "I hear it! That's not true!"

 **{Panic Break: Maki's Account}**

* * *

"Wait a minute, Kaito. Wasn't there someone else who disappeared other than Rantaro?" Kaede pressed.

Maki sighed and rolled her eyes. "That idiot already forgot. Gonta also left during the strategy meeting."

"Oh, right. Gonta did lock himself up in the AV room," Kaito sheepishly smiled.

"Is that right, Gonta?" Ryoma narrowed his eyes.

"Y-Yes, Gonta watch bug movie. To fill Gonta with fight, so Gonta can fight Monokuma," Gonta chewed on his fingernails as he explained himself.

"But why did you lock the door?" I asked, frowning.

"Cuz...Gonta need to focus..." Gonta hung his head low and stared at the ground. "It really wasn't Gonta!"

"Well, you don't have an alibi," Tenko shrugged.

"Alibi...? So Gonta just need alibi?" Gonta then raised his hands up into the air, face filled with determination. "Okay! Gonta go get it now! Tell Gonta where to get one!"

"...The way this debate is going, this is going to be hard to refute," Maki deadpanned.

"Kekeke, what will you do now?" Korekiyo chortled while crossing his arms. "At this rate, we'll all pick you as our culprit."

"B-But what do Gonta do?" Gonta fretted.

"You just need to explain to us why you couldn't have killed Kirumi," Shuichi kindly told him.

"If you're not the culprit and we all vote for you, then we're dead too," Ryoma pulled the rim of his beanie down, casting a foreboding shadow over his features. "Our lives are riding on your word. You got this."

"O-Okay," Gonta nodded in understanding. "Gonta will try his best!"

* * *

 **{Nonstop Debate}**

"Gonta not culprit!" he yells out. "Cuz to leave AV room, Gonta must walk through Game room where friends are to even reach hallway!"

"If you can't get to the hallway," Angie started. "You can't go to the library!"

"The AV room has more than one entrance," Ryoma stated. "There should be another sliding door facing the hallway too."

"The sliding door across from the rear entrance, right?" Shuichi asked for clarification.

"Even if they did leave towards the rear entrance, wouldn't they just end up bumping into Shirayuki and Rantaro who were leaving the library?" Kaito questioned.

"Since Rantaro and I were standing outside the rear entrance the whole time until Shuichi came running along, whoever the culprit was must have left the Game Room before Rantaro and I exited the library," I pointed out.

"Well then, the answer is obvious!" Miu started. "With that sliding door, he left the AV room before Shirayuki and Rantaro appeared. Then, he met Kirumi in front of the library and went in with her!"

Immediately, Kaede interjected. "No, that's wrong!"

 **{Argument Break: Sliding Door}**

* * *

"It's not possible to use the sliding door," Kaede shook her head lightly.

"You saying I'm wrong? You got a lot of ass to be contradicting me!" Miu lashed out in anger.

"The sliding door always jams. You're only able to open it a crack," Kaede pointed out. "The only part of your body that would have been able to go through the small crack is your arm!"

"And there was no indication of the door being forced. There was dust on the track," Shuichi added.

"In other words, the chance they came out of the sliding door is zero," Ryoma turned towards Gonta. "Sorry about accusing you."

"N-No, Gonta is fine. Happy to be of help to everyone!" Gonta beamed, back to his normal cheery self.

"I-I see...so I made a mistake...how rare," the heat rushed up to Miu's face as she fiddled with her thumbs in discomfiture.

"It's not that rare for you to make a mistake! Your entire existence is a mistake," Kokichi giggled.

I spun my head around to face him and glared at him. "Kokichi...your words..."

"Whoops, sorry! Can't make mommy mad~" Kokichi quickly bowed, though it wasn't apologetic in the least.

"So, did anyone see Gonta leave the AV room?" Korekiyo turned towards Kaito.

"Hm, at least I didn't see anyone else leaving other than Rantaro," Kaito shrugged.

"Neither did I," Tenko confirmed.

"Well then, that means Gonta isn't the culprit, since he couldn't have left the AV room," Kaede nodded in satisfaction.

"R-Really? Thank you for believing Gonta!" Gonta smiled.

"Oh, no you don't! Hold it right there," Kokichi suddenly turned everyone's attention towards him. "Nishishi~ you guys are just falling right into the culprit's trap!"

"What are you talking about?" Maki narrowed her eyes at him.

"Wow, that glare can kill!" Kokichi frowned. "But anyway, what I mean is, we can't clear Gonta of all suspicions yet."

"Huh? But we know he couldn't have exited the AV room. So how could he be the culprit?" Kaede tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Nishishi...as I was listening to you guys debate, I had a sudden revelation!" Kokichi started. "See, we were all sooooo fixated on the idea that the culprit must have entered with Kirumi and that they knew about the camera blind spots and all."

"What are you getting at?" Himiko stared at him from underneath her hat.

"I'm getting there, so calm down, Himiko. What I'm saying is...unfortunately, it's impossible for the culprit to have entered the library," Kokichi dropped a bombshell on everyone, causing mass pandemonium.

"W-What? Are you crazy?" Tenko shook her head in disbelief.

"What you're saying makes no sense! How can the culprit kill Kirumi if they didn't enter after her?!" Kaito yelled out, demanding for an explanation.

"How am I supposed to know? I'm not the culprit after all," Kokichi shrugged nonchalantly.

"E-Excuse me?" Kiibo sputtered.

"That's what we need to find out! How on earth did the culprit kill Kirumi?" Kokichi had his signature smirk back on his face.

I clenched my fists as I stared at him. _Is he...going to mention how Rantaro and I witnessed the shot-put ball falling from the ceiling? But isn't that a little too early...? We still have no clue who the real mastermind is!_

"Explain yourself, you degenerate male!" Tenko glared at Kokichi.

"Nishishi, so we all know that Rantaro and Shirayuki were guarding the rear entrance of the library, right?" Kokichi started as everyone nodded in agreement. "Now, here's the interesting bit. Shuichi came running down soon after, so he was blocking the front entrance of the library. Then, Kaito and Tenko popped out of the Game Room."

"We already fucking know that. Get to the point already!" Miu growled in frustration.

"It's simply impossible for the culprit to leave the library," Kokichi bluntly stated.

"...Huh?" Gonta cocked his head to the side.

"Let me explain," Rantaro jumped in. "All the entrances into the library were blocked at the time of the murder. Even if the culprit could have entered after Kirumi without being captured by the cameras, they simply couldn't have left without being spotted."

"...Holy cows," Kaito facepalmed, groaning. "Why didn't I realize that?"

"No one expected anything from you," Maki rolled her eyes.

"Then what if they ran inside the hidden door?" Kiibo blurted out.

"Unfortunately, the dust was still on the card reader. That means no one entered the door tonight," Shuichi shut his argument down immediately.

"Wait a minute...then how on earth did the culprit kill Kirumi?" Korekiyo had his fingers on his chin as he pondered.

"Well, that's what we need to find out, right?" Ryoma sighed. "How did someone kill Kirumi from the outside?"

"And that's where I come in!" Kokichi suddenly exclaimed. "There's a chance that Gonta killed her from the AV Room!"

"From the AV Room? How?" Ryoma asked, intrigued by Kokichi's deduction.

"Oho! That idea never even popped up in my mind," Angie jolted in surprise.

"Not only that, but he also wouldn't appear on the cameras if he used this method!" Kokichi continued, nodding to himself.

"...Is this another one of your lies?" I deadpanned.

"Just listen to me first, okay, Shiro-chan?" Kokichi waggled his index finger in my face. "The sliding door of the AV room is facing the rear entrance of the library, right? Then, it's possible for Gonta to kill Kirumi by using a certain tool in the AV room to open the rear entrance of the library!"

"A tool...?" I mulled over his words for a second before I understood his train of thought. "Ah, I see."

"See? What the hell do you see?" Miu spatted.

"I think what Kokichi is trying to say is that Gonta picked up the projector screen, rolled it up, and stuck it out of the crack between the sliding door. Then, he opened the rear entrance of the library with it," I said.

"Okay, so it was possible to open the door, but then what?" Kaito scratched his head fervently.

"Have you forgotten what the murder weapon was?" I bluntly asked.

"What? The murder weapon? Wasn't it the..." Kaito trailed off.

"The shot-put ball, right?" Ryoma continued for him.

"Oh, yeah! Right, the shot-put ball," Kaito nodded. "So...what about it?"

I facepalmed. "Dude, put two and two together, please. What do you do with a shot-put ball?"

"Well, you throw it right?" Kaito answered without much thought. Then, he paused as his face lit up in realization. "...OH. HE THREW IT!"

"Nishishi~ exactamundo! And that's how Gonta killed Kirumi from the AV room!" Kokichi beamed. "Now let's get this voting done already!"

"W-Wait a minute, we don't know for sure yet if that's what happened!" Kaede exclaimed.

"G-Gonta no do it!" Gonta pleaded. "Gonta not know where shot-put ball came from..."

I took a short moment to blank out of the conversation.

 _...Is it really possible for Gonta to throw the shot-put ball through the rear entrance? After all, Rantaro and I were standing at that exit the whole time...unless he threw it after we walked over to the front entrance with Shuichi. But even then, it's not possible for Gonta to throw it because of that obstacle...!_

* * *

 **{Nonstop Debate}**

"So we agree that Gonta is the culprit, right?" Miu cackled.

"N-No! Gonta not culprit!" Gonta's face paled as everyone started to accuse him. "Honest!"

"A typical degenerate male excuse," Tenko uttered with an awkward expression on her face.

"Kirumi's corpse and the AV room door do line up with one another," Kokichi reiterated. "If he threw it after Shirayuki and Rantaro left with Shuichi to the front entrance of the library, then he would have no obstacles in his way!"

"If one could open the back door of the library..." Korekiyo nodded in affirmation. "One could throw a shot and strike true."

"Well, there's no way an average person could have made that shot," Ryoma frowned. "As a former athlete, at least I can see that much."

"Then again, with Gonta's superhuman strength, it's a different story!" Kiibo crossed his arms together.

"Exactly! Unlike a certain wishy-washy Roomba here, Gonta could easily hurl that shot-put ball with pin-point accuracy!" Kokichi snickered.

"Gah! W-Who are you calling a Roomba?!" Kiibo protested.

"Afterward, to close the back door of the library, he would have used the same rolled up projector screen again!" Angie cheered.

"Seeee? That's all there is to it!" Kokichi grinned widely.

I turned to look at Kokichi with confusion in my eyes.

...What _the hell is Kokichi going on about now? We both know it was the shot-put dropping down from the ceiling that almost killed Rantaro and possibly killed Kirumi. Is this part of his act to rouse up the mastermind and lure them into a false sense of security?_

I sighed, then pointed a finger at Kokichi. "There's a contradiction in your logic!"

 **{Argument Break: Moving Bookcase}**

* * *

"Unfortunately, it would have been impossible for Gonta to have thrown that shot from the AV Room," I shook my head.

"W-What?!" Kokichi took a step back, face paling. "Did Shiro-chan just steal the protagonist flag from Kaede?!"

"Wait, what? The heck are you talking about now?" I grimaced at his confusing words.

"Oh, nothing. But I thought you were my partner in crime, Shiro-chan! Why are you arguing against me?" Kokichi pouted, holding his fists out in front of him as he feigned a furious glare at me. "Just now, you were explaining my thoughts, so why are you taking back your words?"

"Hey, I was only explaining to the others what you were thinking. It doesn't mean I agree with it," I sighed. "First of all, it's true that if Gonta threw the shot-put ball and killed Kirumi from the AV Room, then he must have done it after Rantaro and I left to the front entrance instead."

"Right! So what's the matter," Kokichi frowned, though his eyes were twinkling with realization.

"The moving bookcase was in the way," I stated. "When Shuichi and the rest of us entered the library, we saw the moving bookcase close. That means that before we opened the front entrance, that moving bookcase was in place, hiding Kirumi's body behind it."

"Hm, if that's true, then there is no way that Gonta could have been the culprit," Tsumugi pondered.

"Aw, goddammit. Why are we making this so hard? Just be the culprit already," Kokichi booed as he made a thumbs down with his hands.

"Nyeh, are we still not done yet? I want to go back and recharge my mana already..." Himiko groaned out loud, slumping onto her podium with exhaustion.

I glanced at Kokichi from my position on the podium. _He knew there was a loophole in his deduction already, didn't he? He's just trying to make this all more confusing so that we eventually lure out the mastermind._

"Well, what do we do now?" Tsumugi frowned.

"We're out of suspects now. On top of that, we don't even know how Kirumi died," Ryoma clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"So in the end, we only know what the weapon is? How are we supposed to find the mastermind with that?!" Miu barked out.

"We know the murder weapon is the shot-put ball, but where did the culprit get it?" Maki asked.

"I believe it was from the warehouse. I saw track and field equipment there," Shuichi answered.

"Then anyone would have been able to obtain it," Rantaro frowned. "We need more information."

"..." Shuichi suddenly clamped up, sweating with his hand cupped around his chin in a thoughtful manner.

"Hm? What's wrong, Shuichi?" Kaede asked, eyes filled with concern.

"Huh? A-Ah, nothing..." Shuichi stammered out a reply, before he went quiet again.

I raised an eyebrow at his dubious actions. _Is he...the one who attempted to kill Rantaro? Nah, that can't be...not Shuichi...but then again, I can't imagine Kaede doing it either._

"Gyahhhhh! How do we find this darn culprit now?!" Tenko screeched, pulling the strands of her hair in frustration.

"Hey, culprit!" Kaito yelled, bumping his fists together. "Quit hiding! Just be a man and fess up already!"

"Uh, we don't if they're a man yet, though," Tsumugi placed a hand on her left cheek, tilting her head slightly as she sweatdropped.

"Or if they're even human..." Himiko suggested.

"We can always ask Atua," Angie chimed in.

Ryoma groaned. "Not this occult stuff again..."

"D-Don't worry guys! We're one step closer to the truth. Don't give up now!" Kaede cheered. "Try to remember what happened. Perhaps, we can find more clues left by the mastermind."

"Clues? What kinda clues?" Gonta sniffed.

"Like...if Kirumi was deceived by the mastermind and went to the library..." Kaede asked.

"I thought we already asserted that Kirumi simply followed Shirayuki to the library," Korekiyo frowned.

"True, but whoever it was murdered her had to have known she was going there, right?" Kaede pointed out.

"I see, so the question is, how did the culprit know that Kirumi would be in the library at the time of the murder?" Kiibo posed a question.

"Wasn't it just pure coincidence?" Kokichi hummed.

"But their murder plan is elaborate enough for them to not be caught on the cameras. This is definitely a premeditated murder..." Rantaro muttered, turning to look at both Kokichi and me.

I returned his gaze and nodded. Kokichi had a sly smirk on his face as he prepared himself to speak.

 _Right, I think it's time we start exposing who attempted to kill Rantaro. First, we ask Miu about the camera functions. Then, we make either Kaede or Shuichi confess to their plans. Finally, we dig out the real mastermind._

 _I'll do whatever it takes to find the mastermind...and end this game!_

 **{Intermission}**


	12. Chapter 11: Trial 1 Part 2

**A/N:** Just a small note: for this trial, I didn't give out a list of all the truth bullets, simply because they're the same as in the game lol. However, for trials after this where I'll be coming up with my own murder mysteries *gulps* I'll list out all the truth bullets before the trial, in case some of you would like to think along the way :)

Anyways, sorry for the delay!

* * *

 **[Chapter 11: Trial 1 Part 2]**

"How on earth did the culprit kill Kirumi from the outside? It's quite the mystery," Korekiyo uttered.

"Nyeh, what if they were actually inside and just turned invisible?" Himiko chewed on her index finger.

"What, and so they used invisibility to escape the library?" Miu rolled her eyes. "Even a fucking preschool virgin can come up with something more believable than that."

"Hey, I just remembered something," Maki started, turning everyone's attention to her. "What about the vent in the library? Isn't it possible the killer entered and escaped by the vent?"

"No, they couldn't have used the vent," Kaede refuted. "When I set the cameras, I also stacked some books in front of the vent. If someone did crawl in and out from the vent, the books would've collapsed. While we were investigating, they were still neatly stacked the way I placed them."

"Maybe they put the books back when they left the room," Kaito suggested.

"Wouldn't that be quite difficult to achieve on such a narrow bookcase," Rantaro questioned.

"We've already ruled out the vents, the doors, and the hidden bookcase," Angie started with a frown. "So in the end, the culprit had to have killed Kirumi from the outside, right?"

"Eureka! I know how the culprit did it!" Miu suddenly proclaimed. "They just walked in through the fucking front door!"

"Uh, have you been paying attention? We already know the culprit couldn't have left the library, due to both entrances and exits being blocked by Shuichi and Shirayuki. They had to have killed from the outside," Kiibo sweatdropped.

"H-Huh? Wait, really?" Miu twitched uncomfortably. "I-I just thought the culprit timed their movements around, you know, the camera intervals."

"...Wait, what?" I jolted in surprise.

Rantaro raised an eyebrow, and Kokichi just started chuckling to himself. I sweatdropped. _We didn't even need to press it out of her. She just went and self-destructed on her own..._

"...Huh? Camera intervals?" Kaede's eyes widened.

"What is that supposed to mean...?" Maki narrowed her eyes at Miu.

"Basically, the culprit knew about the cameras and their intervals. So they snuck into the library between camera shots. To avoid appearing in the photos!" Miu exclaimed. "Maybe they also used the same method when they left and sneaked out the rear entrance after Shuichi-poo's group barged into the library from the front, you know?"

"Miu, what's the interval you're talking about?" Kaede asked.

"Oh, now you're asking me?" Miu rolled her eyes in annoyance. "After the shutter snaps, the camera can't take a new photo for 30 seconds. That's because I redesigned the cameras to auto-roll the film instead of having to do it manually."

"That's the first time I'm hearing about this! Why didn't you tell us from the start?!" Kaede yelled, eyes swirling with bewilderment.

"Hieeeeeeeee!" Miu screamed, shuddering under Kaede's intense gaze. "B-But I told you beta boytoy after I gave you the remodeled cameras."

Immediately, everyone turned to stare at Shuichi.

"...Huh? A-Ah! I-I'm sorry! I-I guess...I forgot to tell you..." Shuichi suddenly stammered.

I pursed my lips together. _Please don't tell me...you were the one who attempted to kill Rantaro?_

"How could you forget to tell me?" Kaede sputtered.

"I didn't think it'd affect the plan. I d-didn't realize it would matter," Shuichi continued to stutter, eyes frantically moving around the courtroom. "I guess I just forgot to mention it...I'm really sorry..."

"Kekeke...I forgot to mention it...what a pitiful excuse," Korekiyo cackled.

"Yeah...that was pretty much a lie," Kokichi had a sly smirk on his face. "I wonder why you felt the need to lie about that, hm?"

"W-Wait, he probably just had a lot of things on his mind, you know?" Kaede argued. "It's not unusual that he'd forget a thing or two..."

"But if he knew about the camera intervals, he could've sneaked into the library, right?" Angie asked.

"Y-Yes, that is true," Kiibo pondered, voice shaking from the sudden revelation.

"H-Hey! What gives, Shuichi?" Kaito panicked, face paling as the terrible thought of Shuichi being the culprit entered his mind.

"Say something already..." Maki glared at him.

"Your tongue-tied silence speaks volumes! I fuckin' knew you were the culprit!" Miu growled, making a thumbs down with her right hand.

"W-Wait just a minute! None of that is possible," Kaede screamed. "Shuichi was with me the entire time we were on the lookout. When are you suggesting he killed Kirumi?"

"Were you really together the whole time?" Maki hardened her expression as the air surrounding her permeated with hostility.

"Huh...well of course- wait...I mean...he only left for a while after the group of students walked down to the basement," Kaede trailed off, eyes filled to the brim with worry and confusion.

"Well, there we have it," Korekiyo smirked. "Shuichi must have killed Kirumi then."

"I-Is this true? Did you do it, Shuichi?" Tenko took a step back, eying Shuichi with suspicion.

"Nishishi~ what a surprising twist to this story! The detective ends up being the culprit himself," Kokichi snickered, amused by the scene that was unraveling in front of his eyes.

"Why aren't you saying anything...?" Maki pressed.

"..." Shuichi remained silent, a hand clasped on his chest as he breathed heavily.

"Guys, wait," I interjected. "Have you forgotten something already?"

"Hm? What's up, Shiro-chan?" Kokichi turned to me, a knowing look on his face.

"Yeah, we almost have the culprit now, so shut the fuck up, you damn bitch!" Miu spatted, glaring at me.

"How about you calm your head down?" I retorted. "Kokichi already said this before, but it's impossible for the culprit to enter and leave the room. Did you guys already forget that?"

"...Oh, right. Even if they could have entered without being spotted by the cameras, they couldn't have left without being spotted by the others standing near the front entrance of the library," Kaito repeated Kokichi's argument from before the intermission.

"Nishishi~ that's true, I did say that," Kokichi grinned. "But I also came up with another explanation just now."

"Wait, what?!" I turned my head towards him and gaped, mouth hanging open. "What are you talking about now?"

"Well, I just realized this after Miu started talking about the camera intervals and all..." Kokichi started. "The culprit could have used the camera intervals to avoid being spotted, right? Now, we had issues with how they left the library before, but I just figured something out again."

"And that is?" Rantaro raised a curious eyebrow.

"What if they just hid in the hallway?" Kokichi suggested.

"...What?" I uttered out.

"What I mean is, what if they timed their escape so that no one would spot them? For example, once Shirayuki and Rantaro ran towards the front entrance and met up with the others, the culprit sneaked out into the hallway outside of the rear entrance and hid there until you guys barged into the library!" Kokichi explained.

"...Hey, wait a minute, that does make sense too!" Kaito retracted his previous statement and agreed immediately with Kokichi.

"Therefore, the culprit could have used that method to escape!" Kokichi laughed out loud. "Isn't that a brilliant deduction?!"

"...Are you sure about that?" I challenged.

"Hm? Are you saying I'm wrong, Shiro-chan?" Kokichi waggled his finger in front of my face, a knowing glint shining in his eyes.

"Let me get this straight. You're saying that Shuichi used this new method you came up with to escape from the crime scene?" I asked for clarification.

"Well, duh! He's the only one who knows about the camera intervals, aside from Miu, but Miu has an airtight alibi!" Kokichi snickered. "So it has to be Shuichi!"

I nodded, this time with confidence. I _see...he wants me to refute him and prove that Shuichi isn't the culprit. It's the only way we can save Shuichi from his situation right now, where everyone else is being suspicious of him._

"There was a huge contradiction in your remark just now, and I'll prove it to you now," I yelled out, pointing a finger at Kokichi.

* * *

 **{Rebuttal Showdown}**

"Nishishi, what on earth are you talking about, Shiro-chan?"

"There are no contradictions in my words!"

"Shuichi is definitely the culprit."

"There's no other way around it!"

"He sneaked into the library by using the camera intervals!"

—ADVANCE—

"It may be true that Shuichi knew about the camera intervals."

"But that doesn't mean that he was the culprit in this case!"

—ARGUMENT 2—

"Miu's the other person who knew about the camera intervals..."

"But she couldn't have killed Kirumi because she was always with Korekiyo in the dining hall!"

"So Shuichi entered the library by avoiding the camera..."

"Then, he sneaked out the rear entrance of the library and hid in the corner, waiting for the others to enter the library from the front entrance, making his grand escape!"

 **{Truth Blade: Shirayuki's Account}**

* * *

"See? You contradicted yourself again," I repeated.

"Huh? Where?" Kokichi cocked his head to the side in an innocent manner.

"You said just now that the culprit hid in the corner and waited for everyone else to enter the library before they escaped, right? But Shuichi was in the group that barged into the library. Not to mention, Rantaro and I witnessed Shuichi running down the stairs. How on earth do you suggest he murder Kirumi, then?" I argued.

"Well, that's easy! He just..." Kokichi trailed off; then a blank look made its way up onto his face. "He had a doppelganger."

I sweatdropped. "...Sure."

"Wait, no, of course not!" Kiibo yelled out. "Don't play along with his words, Shirayuki!"

"He might have a twin, hidden somewhere in here," Himiko drawled.

"What? Did someone say twin?! Why that sounds veeeeery familiar!" Monokuma suddenly cackled.

"Sounds like something from another video game!" Monotaro snickered.

"Uh, don't break the fourth- no, the fifth wall, please," Monophanie whimpered.

"Guys, let's get back on track, please..." Maki shook her head in exasperation.

"There's also another reason why Shuichi isn't the culprit," I added.

"What? There's more?!" Tenko screeched, face distorting into a comical mixture of horror and surprise.

"Kaede told us that Shuichi left to check the library after the group of students walked down towards the basement, right?" I turned to Kaede.

Kaede nodded. "Yes, but he only left for a brief moment."

"That's why we thought he could have gone down to kill Kirumi," Miu frowned.

"Yeah, but you guys forgot something. Rantaro and I also went to the library," I explained. "If Shuichi killed Kirumi at that time, then when Rantaro walked into the library, he would have seen Kirumi's corpse."

"That is true," Rantaro nodded in agreement. "However, it is a fact that Kirumi entered after Shirayuki and I left. Therefore, it's simply impossible for Shuichi to have murdered Kirumi in that brief moment of time."

"I-I see. It seems like Shuichi really is not the culprit," Kiibo sighed in resignation.

"B-But if Shuichi is not the culprit, then who is?" Tenko stammered, glancing frantically around the room.

"Only those who knew about the camera intervals could use the trick Kokichi explained. Unfortunately, both of them were incapable of completing it," Korekiyo crossed his arms, staring up at the ceiling of the courtroom. "Has even god forsaken us?"

"Atua is always on our side!" Angie cheered from the sideline.

Ryoma simply groaned. "God was never on our side, to begin with. If he were, we wouldn't be in this sticky situation."

"Hey, don't give up just yet," I started. "You guys forgot something again. Our debate has been a huge train-wreck, since we keep jumping from one point to another, but have you forgotten Kokichi's original stance again?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kaito asked.

"What I mean is, Kokichi told us before that the only way the killer could have murdered Kirumi was from the outside. They never had to step into the library. Whatever trick they used didn't involve the cameras at all," I repeated.

"Nishishi~ unless the cameras had some other hidden feature...right, Miu?" Kokichi's eyes had a dangerous shine to them as Miu winced.

"O-Of course there isn't! I swear on my dead body! There's no other feature to it," Miu quickly claimed.

"Nishishi, if you say so," Kokichi then turned towards the rest of the students. "I'd like to bring to your attention something that I've noticed."

"Again?" Maki sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Exactly how many times are you going to confuse us?" Tenko groaned, feeling a headache creeping up.

"Aw, are my theories too much to handle for you dimwits? Don't worry! This is definitely the last one," Kokichi grinned playfully.

"Wha- who are you calling dimwits?!" Kaito screeched on reflex at Kokichi's harsh words.

"He wasn't even talking to you, so what are you getting all defensive for?" Maki sweatdropped.

"Wait, Kokichi," I reached over to grab him on the shoulder, holding him into place.

"Hm? Is something the matter, my dear?" Kokichi smiled.

I grimaced at his words. "Who the hell are you calling your dear? But anyways, I know what you're about to say, and I want to ask someone else first."

"Someone...else...?" Kokichi trailed off, taking my words in. Then, he jolted his head up in realization. His smile morphed into a sly and mischievous grin. "Oho? I see now...you want them to confess about it themselves. Nishishi, I didn't think you could be quite the sadist."

"Shut it, you purple fanatic," I glared at him.

"Wait, I don't even like the color purple that much!" Kokichi protested, a playful glare on his features.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I waved him off with my hand and turned back to the courtroom, clearing my throat. "Ahem. Anyways, there's something that I have also noticed. Actually, I noticed it for a long time now."

"Oh? Do inform us of your findings," Korekiyo leaned over his podium, intrigued by my actions.

"Yes, please do," Rantaro nodded in understanding.

I returned his nod and glanced at Shuichi. _It's time we talk about Rantaro's attempted murder. But if possible, I'd rather hear it from them..._

"I noticed something about a particular piece of evidence that we have here," I then motioned towards Shuichi with my left hand. "But I'd rather have Shuichi be the one to explain it."

At my words, Shuichi jumped up in shock. He spun his head towards me, eyes bulging out of their sockets. "W-What did you just say?"

"I'm asking you, Shuichi, to explain something that has been bugging you for the past few minutes now," I probed.

"...It's true. You've been quiet for a while now, Shuichi," Kaede continued for me, a serious look unbefitting of her bubbly and kind personality made its way onto her face. "It's because you realized something, huh? You're scared to reveal the truth."

"...Ah!" Shuichi gasped, shaking in horror under Kaede's piercing gaze.

"...I thought so," the stoic look on her face changed into one of understanding and resignation. "Shuichi, answer me this. What kind of truth did you arrive to? Don't be scared to say it. Not just for me...but for everyone else. Please, face the truth," Kaede pleaded, voice cracking under the raw intensity of the emotions that she was feeling.

"..." Shuichi took a small moment of silence to breathe deeply. Then, he exhaled. He shifted his hat and lifted the hem of his cap higher up so that we could see his face. "...the picture."

"Picture?" Kiibo tilted his head to the side in puzzlement.

"The picture from the camera aimed at the hidden door, the one Rantaro appeared on," Shuichi clarified.

"Actually, that was also on my mind too..." Maki confessed.

"Huh? Really? What about it? We know Rantaro entered into the library because he knew about the hidden bookshelf, right?" Kaito scrunched his eyebrows up. "What's wrong with him appearing in the photos, then?"

"What I mean is, I always thought there was something suspicious...the way Rantaro was acting," Shuichi's eyes wandered around the courtroom, gauging everyone else's reactions.

"Hm? What's suspicious?" Angie leaned forward on her podium to take a closer look at the photo.

"If you look at the picture, it looks like Rantaro is trying to remove the camera," Shuichi deduced. "But that must mean he noticed the camera we set up."

"That's true, but when did he notice that?" Tenko turned towards Rantaro.

"Yes, about that," Rantaro picked up the photo. "If you look here, you can see that some areas of the picture are brighter than the other."

"Now that you mention it, the brightness seems to be a bit uneven at places," Kiibo examined the photo more closely. "...Oh! Perhaps this is...?"

Rantaro nodded. "Yes, it's the flash. When I opened the hidden bookcase, a sudden flash towards my right alerted me to the cameras. That's when I walked closer towards the camera, as you can see in the photo."

"That flash was used to lure whoever moved the bookcase to the camera," Kaede quietly spoke, the tone of her voice dropping an octave lower. "So when the flash went off, they would have noticed the camera right away."

"Hey, Kaede...?" Kaito was slightly sweating as he took in Kaede's change in demeanor. "Is...something wrong? You've been acting a bit...strange."

"Your last few remarks carry more conviction than before," Korekiyo crossed his arms, staring at Kaede, intrigued.

"Do you know who the culprit is?" Tenko asked.

"..." Kaede stayed silent for a moment, taking in a deep breath. She exhaled lightly, her eyes shaking. Her lips wobbled as her voice cracked under pressure. "Y-Yeah. I've known for a while now. Or actually...I thought I knew...but...something...just...something is very...wrong."

"Huh?! So you knew who the culprit was all along?" Angie slapped her cheeks with both hands, looking at Kaede with awe-filled eyes.

"Yes, I did," Kaede clenched her fists. "Or at least, I thought I knew...but things just don't make sense anymore!" her voice was filled with sorrow and pain as she wheezed.

"Well, I mean, did anything ever make sense in this trial?" Kaito puckered his lips, pouting.

Kaede shook her head roughly. "No! That's not it! I know who the culprit is. I truly do! And yet...why...? Why is the evidence not pointing towards the culprit?!" All of a sudden, Kaede dropped onto her knees, panting as she hyperventilated. "Where...just where did things go so wrong...?"

"Kaede, it's okay," I found my voice shaking as I took in her broken form. My hands shook as I grasped the rails of my podium. "You did nothing wrong. This isn't your fault."

Kaede had tears dripping down her face as she stared up at me, eyes hollow and devoid of life. "I did nothing wrong...? How could you say that?! You know, don't you? You know what I did!"

"Kaede, please, calm down!" Shuichi found himself pleading as his body shook. "Your plan failed...it's fine!"

"It's not! It was me! I'm the blackened of this case. That fact won't ever change!" Kaede screamed, her voice raspy from all the tears that she had shed. She clutched her chest with both her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. "I did it...I killed Kirumi...!"

"No, you didn't!" Shuichi yelled back, eyes filled with determination. "You know you didn't. Just like you said...the evidence says otherwise!"

"But...But I really did do it..." Kaede kept her head down, staring at the ground. "It was me..."

"Wait, just what is going on right now?" Kaito spun his head back and forth between Kaede, Shuichi, and I.

"Why is Kaede telling us she's the culprit...? She's lying, right?" Kiibo took a step back in horror, shaking his head in disbelief. "I...I won't believe it! It can't be Kaede!"

"So, everything was a lie? All of the hopeful words that you spouted...they were all a lie?" Ryoma found himself seething in anger.

"And here I thought you were the kindest person of the bunch. It seems I was gravely wrong about that," Korekiyo sneered at Kaede.

"Nyeh, so we have the culprit now? Then let's hurry up and vote...I want to sleep now," Himiko yawned, covering her mouth with one hand.

"Wait, guys, stop. You're wrong," I found myself speaking rapidly. "Calm down and listen first—"

"There's nothing to listen to. I'm the culprit. Please, vote for me," Kaede stood up abruptly from her seat on the floor, legs wobbling. "I did it. I killed Kirumi. It was me—"

"Hah! I knew you were a fucking bitch since I saw you on day one!" Miu cackled, spraying spit all over her podium. "No one can be that much of a goody-two-shoes! Go rot in hell, mary-sue!"

"Let's vote then! On the count of three!" Angie pointed three fingers up into the air, a bubbly grin on her face.

"P-Please wait! This has to be some mistake! Some degenerate male is framing her!" Tenko screamed, positioning herself into an aikido stance.

"So you were the culprit all along...how ironic," Maki eyed Kaede with hostility.

"S-Stop, guys," I found my voice being drowned out by the chaos. _Did I uncover the truth far too quickly for everyone to take it in? No, first of all, we need to stop Kaede somehow!_

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...!" Kaede sobbed as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"So, are we ready to vote now?" Monokuma chuckled from his seat on the sidelines. "Well then, let's get to the voting!"

"Wait, no! We're not done yet," Shuichi spun his head towards Monokuma in dismay.

"No! Stop it!" I yelled out, face paling in horror. _Oh god...somebody, please! Anybody...please stop this madness!_

 **"Quit crying already."**

* * *

His words had an immediate effect as everyone halted in their spots. I froze, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. Rantaro's eyes widened slowly as he turned to look at the speaker. Kaede coughed, turning slowly to look at the person who spoke with such authority in their voice.

It came as a surprise to everyone that such an order would come from Kokichi Ouma of all people.

Kokichi had a stern look on his face. He was no longer smiling. His lips were pressed together tightly as he glared directly into Kaede's quivering eyes. His eyes shone with brilliance like dark, polished coal. There was such clarity in his hawk-like gaze that it shocked everyone in the courtroom, including me.

I swallowed loudly. _Kokichi...?_

"You know you're not the culprit in this case. So stop feeling guilty already," Kokichi clicked his tongue once in annoyance. "Your stupid contraption failed, so you have nothing to worry about."

"B-But I—" Kaede started.

"No buts. Just get your head out of the clouds and focus already. Stop whining and yapping like a goddamn puppy. You should be using whatever energy you have left to find the real culprit of this case, is that clear?" Kokichi raised his voice slightly to make his point.

"I...uh...alright...?" Kaede's voice immediately stopped shivering under Kokichi's scrutinizing gaze.

"...Kokichi?" I found myself meekly voicing out his name.

He turned towards me and raised an eyebrow. "Well? What are you waiting for? We have a killer to catch, right?"

"U-Uh, right. T-Thanks for calming everyone down, Kokichi," I stammered, feeling intimidated by his heated stare.

"...So, what's going on?" Kaito mustered up his courage and asked. "Can someone explain what just happened?"

"I'll do it," Shuichi clenched his fists and lifted the rim of his hat higher up. "I'll expose Kaede's lies."

"Shuichi..." Kaede's eyes were filled to the brim with worry.

Shuichi only gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Kaede. They'll understand."

"Wait, so Shuichi think Kaede is killer?" Gonta voiced out.

"I-I don't believe it. It can't be Kaede!" Tenko protested.

"No, Kaede didn't kill Kirumi," Shuichi started.

"Yeah, we already know that!" Kaito exclaimed. "She couldn't have killed Kirumi if she was always with you—"

"But she attempted to kill someone else," Shuichi adjusted the brim of his hat slightly as he spoke. "Even if she didn't kill Kirumi, she still tried to murder someone completely different."

"WHAT?!" Tsumugi screeched, gaping at Shuichi.

"Okay, I'm completely lost now," Ryoma grumbled, hands clutching his beanie in an aggravated manner. "All of a sudden, you're saying that we have two different killers and two different victims?"

"Well, potential victims in this case, since other than Kirumi, everyone is very much alive and well," Korekiyo chuckled. "But I must say, this is a direction I did _not_ expect this trial to be moving towards."

"Shuichi, what are you talking about? Who did she try to kill?" Kaito slammed his fist against the podium. "Answer me!"

"It was me," Rantaro's calm and sultry voice shocked everyone. "Kaede tried to kill me."

"Well, to be fair, she didn't know it was you under that bookshelf," I pointed out.

"She tried to kill Rantaro? But why?!" Kiibo turned to Kaede in puzzlement.

Kaede sniffled, wiping her tears with the sleeves of her shirt. "I-I was just trying to...kill the mastermind...!"

"Kill the mastermind? So you're saying you thought Rantaro was the mastermind?" Angie had on a look of surprise.

"Well, no! I didn't know who it was...I just knew that the mastermind would be coming to the library tonight so I set up a trap for them!" Kaede frantically explained. "I had no idea that Rantaro and Shirayuki would be in there!"

"Wait, hold up. Can we start from the beginning?" Kaito grabbed a fistful of his hair in frustration. "So, what was this plan you set up? How did you plan to kill the mastermind?"

"Alright, let's unravel Kaede's plan, step by step," I nodded in understanding. "First, according to Shuichi's deductions, the mastermind would be going to the library tonight to activate Monokuma. Knowing this, Kaede set up a trap to kill the mastermind."

"Ah, I see. Even though she set up an elaborate plan to murder the mastermind, she was not aware of Shirayuki and Rantaro's plans to meet at the library tonight," Korekiyo nodded in satisfaction.

"That's right," Shuichi turned towards Rantaro. "Unfortunately for her, the mastermind did not go to the library. Instead, Rantaro was the one who ended up going to the library."

"So whatever plan Kaede thought up to kill mastermind was used on Rantaro, an innocent bystander," Ryoma grimaced. "I don't know who was more unlucky: Rantaro who was almost killed or Kaede whose plan utterly failed."

Rantaro dryly laughed. "I think we can conclude that this event was a misfortune for the both of us."

"...Hm? Wait a second. So Kaede planned to kill the mastermind tonight," Kaito raised an eyebrow. "But how on earth was she planning on killing the mastermind?"

"Like we've been saying the whoooooole time, from the outside!" Kokichi, back to his normal cheery self, gave Kaede a thumbs up and a wink. "It was such a cool plan! Too bad it failed."

"She planned to lure the mastermind closer to the hidden door camera by leaving the flash on. Then, she hurled the shot-put ball into the vent in the lookout classroom we were in," Shuichi expounded. "That way, the ball would roll over towards the person standing underneath the camera and kill them in one shot."

"What?! She threw the shot-put ball down the vent?" Tenko shrieked in horror. "But how was the ball supposed to hit the mastermind from over there? The vent was way too far away from the camera."

"Of course, if she just simply hurled the shot-put ball down the vent, it would have landed far away from the camera," I started. "But she set up something else to make sure that the shot-put ball would be directed towards the person who stood underneath that particular bookshelf."

"But is that truly possible?" Kiibo questioned.

* * *

 **{Nonstop Debate: Agreement}**

"The shot that fell from the vent...how on earth did it land all the way at the other end of the library?" Korekiyo pondered out loud.

"Yeah, that's impossible!" Tenko confidently declared.

"It's not like it started rolling on its own and fell off the bookcase," Ryoma muttered.

"Maybe the shot was on the floor," Kokichi started with a snicker. "And the mastermind was supposed to have tripped on it, causing them to hit their head on the bookcase!"

"Watch out, so you don't slip and fall!" Angie advised.

"I highly doubt someone could die, just by accidentally banging their head against the bookcase," I sweatdropped. "It's not like someone smashed their head into the bookcase."

"Of course, that wasn't what happened," Rantaro rolled his eyes at Kokichi's remark.

As if on cue, Shuichi pointed a finger at Ryoma. "It started rolling on its own? I agree!"

 **{Consent Break: Stacked Books}**

* * *

"It's just like Ryoma said. The ball started rolling on its own," Shuichi nodded in agreement. "It rolled along the top of the bookcase and landed perfectly in front of the camera!"

"It rolled...along the bookcase?!" Kaito's face paled at the thought.

"I did say that...but would the shot have rolled that conveniently?" Ryoma sweatdropped.

"It has nothing to do with convenience. Kaede set it up so that the ball would roll along the bookcase," Shuichi started, pulling out a diagram from his pocket. "This is a diagram that Miu created for us with her drone. Kaede used the books on top of the bookcases to direct the path of the shot."

Gonta squinted his eyes to look at the floorplan in Shuichi's hands. "Oh! Shuichi right! I see it now."

"Ah! The books are stacked with varying height," Korekiyo gasped.

"I see, I see...so the ball rolled along these books, huh?" Angie turned towards Kaede.

"Yes, that was my plan," Kaede confirmed our deduction. "Shuichi was there when I stacked up the books..."

"Wait, but how did you know when to roll the ball down the vent?" Kaito asked.

"She rolled it after the receiver and sensor went off," Shuichi started. "We set up a sensor on the moving bookcase so that whenever it was opened, my receiver would signal us. After the receiver went off, I ran out of the room first before Kaede. She must have thrown it into the vent then."

"Shuichi was the first one to come running down the stairs. Rantaro and I can confirm that, since we just left the library then," I nodded.

"I see...so that's how she planned on killing the mastermind," Korekiyo muttered. "I must say, it was quite the complex plan."

"Nishishi~ well, because it was so complex, it ended up failing!" Kokichi laughed.

"So when Rantaro opened that hidden door, he noticed the flashes and moved closer to the camera," Tenko frowned. "But then how did he survive?"

"I owe it all to Shirayuki," Rantaro smiled as he gestured towards me with his hand. "When she barged into the library after I did, I was distracted and briefly walked away from the bookcase. If she hadn't walked in at that timing, I would have surely been killed."

"I-I'm so sorry, Rantaro. I didn't mean to..." Kaede started to tear up again as the guilt overwhelmed her. "I truly am sorry...!"

"It's fine. I'm still alive, as you can see. And you didn't kill anyone in the end," Rantaro attempted to console her. "You had good intentions, and you simply acted upon them. We forgive you, Kaede."

"He's right. Your plan failed, so you have nothing to apologize about," Shuichi smiled.

"But...I still..." Kaede's shoulder was still tense as she bit her bottom lip in agony.

"No buts!" Kaito had a large grin on his face. "It's all the mastermind's fault that we ended up in this situation. Next time, just put your faith in your buddies, alright?"

"We won't blame you, Kaede. You did try to save us, after all!" Kiibo added with a confident nod.

"Yeah, we still believe in the kind and friendly Kaede that we know! It's not your fault!" Tenko agreed immediately, flashing Kaede a v-sign.

"I'm partially to blame too..." Shuichi lowered his head. "Kaede trusted my detective skills and set up that plan to kill the mastermind."

"No, that's wrong," Kaede immediately wiped away any remnants of her tears. She stared at Shuichi with determination in her eyes. "I chose to trust you. You simply did what you thought was right. You don't have to blame yourself for my actions."

"But still, I almost made you become a murderer!" Shuichi found himself raising his voice, clutching his chest in pain and regret. "If only I didn't tell you about my plans, then you wouldn't have had to carry such guilt towards your attempted murder!"

"Shuichi, isn't that kind of unfair towards Kaede?" I found myself speaking up.

"...H-Huh?" Shuichi stuttered, turning his head to me. "What do you mean...?"

"When you say it like that, it's as if you're the one who doesn't trust Kaede," I frowned.

Shuichi gasped in horror. "No! That's not what I meant—"

"It's alright, Shuichi. I understand what you mean," Kaede's smile was still as blinding and kind as ever. "But I don't want you to take the blame for my actions, alright? I'm not asking to be forgiven, and I _won't_ ask for it. If you guys are willing to forgive me, then you have my utmost gratitude."

Kaede then sighed loudly. "Geez, Shuichi. I didn't think you'd see through my plans completely like that. You are an amazing detective!"

"H-Huh? I-I...well...I guess, thanks?" Shuichi's eyes were whirling with confusion as he stammered out an answer to Kaede's sudden compliment.

"No problem! You should have more confidence in yourself. I keep telling you, right? Don't look away from the truth. The truth may not be beautiful. It's true that innocence is bliss at times, but if you keeping running away from the truth, you won't be able to take a step forward," Kaede grasped the front of her shirt, eyes shining with determination. "So please, don't be scared of discovering the truth. If you can't believe in yourself, then at least believe in everyone else who does."

"Kaede..." Shuichi's eyes slightly welled up with tears. "T-Thank you."

"I'm glad that the Kaede we all know and love was real all along," Tenko nodded, flashing a radiant smile of her own.

"See? I knew Kaede wasn't the bad guy!" Kaito let loose a hearty laugh.

Miu rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Doesn't change the fact that this bitch here tried to kill someone."

I snapped my head towards her and shot her a threatening glare. "Don't get me started again..."

She winced, turning her head away with a quick huff as she crossed her arms. "F-Fine..."

"Nishishi, sorry to interrupt this sweet and mushy moment, but we still have a culprit to catch, you know?" Kokichi absentmindedly flicked some dust off his podium. "If we don't hurry up and find the culprit, we're all going to die, right?"

"Oh, uh, right," Shuichi coughed loudly into his hands.

Then, to everyone's surprise, he lifted his hat off his head. Everyone's eyes were watching him with shock and bewilderment as he placed his cap down onto the podium. He raised his head back up, chin up straight, eyes sharper than ever. It was as if his entire demeanor had changed. The usual wimpy and cowardly Shuichi was nowhere to be seen.

The boy standing in front of us was a full-fledged detective.

"I know Kaede told me not to blame myself for her actions, but I can't easily do that. If so, then the only way I can atone for both her and my mistakes is to discover the truth, once and for all," Shuichi declared, pointing a finger at Monokuma. "I won't let Kaede's wish go to waste. I'll discover the mastermind of this game and end it!"

"Upupupu, are you sure you are capable of doing so?" Monokuma covered his mouth with his hands, cackling. "If you discover the truth, you're just sending someone else to their deathbed."

Shuichi visibly flinched at Monokuma's remark.

"Hey, don't badger him," I gave Monokuma a dirty look. "Maybe you should say that to the mastermind since they killed an innocent girl just to get this dumbass game started."

"Mastermind? What mastermind?" Monokuma tilted his head to the side, acting all innocent. "Who's that?"

"Don't play dumb with us. We know there's a mastermind behind this whole situation! Otherwise, why would there be a hidden door in the first place?!" Kaede slammed her hands onto the podium, body shaking from anger.

"Woah, wait. So are you guys saying that the mastermind was the one who killed Kirumi?" Kaito exclaimed, blinking rapidly.

Maki facepalmed, rubbing her forehead with her thumb. "Somebody save this idiot..."

"Of course, it was the mastermind! What, have you not been using your brain this entire time?" Kokichi's words were dripping with mockery.

"Hey! I'm just a little slow, okay?!" Kaito gritted his teeth, pouting as he turned away from Kokichi.

"If Kaede was not the one who killed Kirumi, then it must have been the mastermind who was watching her plan from the security cameras," Rantaro pointed out.

"Huh? Why's that?" Miu raised an eyebrow, placing her hands on her hips.

"Think of it this way. If they knew that Kaede was going to murder someone that night, then they could just leave it to her to start the killing game. But there's always a chance that Kaede's plan could fail, and if that were the case, the mastermind would have no choice but to pick up where Kaede left off," Rantaro continued. "The mastermind's main goal is to get this game rolling, so of course, they would be watching Kaede from afar."

"I see. The mastermind has the clearest motive out of us all," Korekiyo placed a hand on his chin in a thoughtful manner.

"From Rantaro's attempted murder and Kirumi's actual death, the time difference between these two events was incredibly slim. It would have been impossible for someone to kill Kirumi if they had not known beforehand that something would be occurring in the library," Ryoma provided his insights.

"So who is it? Who the hell is the mastermind?" Miu screamed.

Ryoma shrugged. "That's what we're going to have to find out, right?"

"Seriously?!" Miu's mouth hung open as she gaped. "We've argued this far, and we're still stuck with no clue?"

"Any ideas, Shuichi?" I turned towards Shuichi, who was pondering in his podium seat. "Kokichi, Rantaro, and I only kept quiet this far to bring out the mastermind, but it seems they're quite the composed one."

"Hm, does anyone have any questions or concerns about this case?" Shuichi brought up. "If anyone has any lingering questions, please do share them now."

"Nyeh, I have one," Himiko suddenly spoke up, making me turn to her in surprise.

"You were actually listening to us? I thought you fell asleep," I blinked.

"Well, I tuned out halfway through...but anyways, I was wondering if the shot-put ball is still the murder weapon," Himiko was chewing on her thumb as she drawled out.

"Uh, let me see," Tenko flipped through the Monokuma file in her hand. "It says here that Kirumi's wound matches those from a shot-put ball."

"So, there's no doubt that the shot-put ball is the murder weapon," Maki confirmed Himiko's suspicions.

"Okay, but I still don't get it," Himiko's eyes drooped as she struggled to stay awake.

I sweatdropped. "Please don't faint just yet."

Himiko jerked back up with her back straight immediately at my words. She rubbed her eyes briefly before she turned towards Shuichi. "Nyeh, so if the shot-put ball was the murder weapon, then did Kirumi's killer use the same shot-put ball Kaede brought?"

I immediately froze after hearing Himiko's question. In my mind, I ran through all of the events that had transpired tonight as everyone else stood in silence.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

 _...No. No way. If what I'm thinking is right...!_

"...Huh?" Kaede blinked rapidly as her eyebrows scrunched up. "Is that supposed to be an issue...?"

"Oh yeah, we never talked about that," Kaito raised an eyebrow. "But does it change anything about the murder?"

"Atua says they used the same shot-put ball!" Angie quickly shot her hand up into the air.

Ryoma sighed, facepalming in exasperation. "As I said, we're not trusting your deity, okay?"

"Nishishi~ unfortunately, Atua is dead wrong!" Kokichi muffled his chuckle by covering his mouth with his hands.

Maki narrowed her eyes at his actions. "You thought up of something again, didn't you?"

"I just had a eureka moment," Kokichi grinned, then crossed his arms over the back of his head in a relaxed manner. "But I won't share it with you guys, because I'm pretty sure everyone's tired of me messing around all the time by now."

"No shit," Kaito scoffed.

"So that's why I'll leave it to someone else to do my job for me~" Kokichi's eyes slowly moved over towards me. A knowing smirk was on his face. "Right, partner?"

"...Holy shit," I deadpanned, slapping myself on the cheek once.

Tenko jolted imperceptibly after seeing my peculiar actions. "Uh, Shirayuki? What's wrong?"

"Did you realize something?" Rantaro asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement and anticipation.

"I think I did— no, holy mackerel. HOLY COWS," I dryly laughed, shaking my head in amazement. "I can't believe the thought never entered my mind up until now!"

"Uh, are you okay?" Tsumugi asked, forehead glistening with sweat. "Maybe you should cool your head first..."

"No, I'm fine. Totally fine. In fact, I haven't been this fine in a heck of a long time," I found myself crossing my arms, smiling with confidence. "There was something that was bugging me the entire time during my investigation. I already knew it was either Kaede or Shuichi who attempted to murder Rantaro, so I focused my deductions on Kaede's plan and how Kirumi entered the library."

"Well, yes, those two facts were our primary concern," Rantaro nodded.

"But that's exactly it! We were so distracted by Kaede and Kirumi's actions that we forgot to think completely about the mastermind's movements!" I exclaimed. "We assumed that it was impossible for someone to enter or exit the library, because both entrances were blocked."

"Why the hell are you repeating stuff we already know?" Miu rolled her eyes.

I shook my head. "We were wrong. There has to be a way for someone to enter and exit the library without being detected."

"...HUH?!" Kaito's face transformed into one of pure horror.

"EXCUSE ME?" Tenko screeched, pulling the ends of her pigtail in confusion.

"What on earth are you saying now?" Maki glared at me. "Your words aren't making sense anymore."

"Think carefully, guys!" I slammed my fist on the podium. "We just concluded that the murder weapon was a shot-put ball. Then, we assumed that the killer must have killed Kirumi from the outside because both entrances were blocked, which was true in Kaede's case."

"It has to be true for the real culprit too though, right? The entrances were still blocked after Kaede threw the shot-put ball," Kaito frowned. "No matter what, the real culprit had to have killed Kirumi from the outside too."

"With the shot-put ball?" I questioned, a challenging look in my eye.

Miu rolled her eyes. "Of course with the shot-put ball! We just fucking said that a minute ago!"

"...Wait a minute," Shuichi's eyes brightened up. "That's it!"

"Huh? Did Shuichi also go bonkers?" Angie puffed her cheeks up.

"So we thought that the real culprit used a shot-put ball to kill Kirumi from the outside," I continued. "But that's where the contradiction lies!"

"Okay, I'm lost again for the hundredth time," Ryoma groaned.

"How many shot-put balls were in the library?" Shuichi asked.

"Huh?" Gonta tilted his head to the side. "Only one, right? The one Kaede threw into vent."

"Yeah, we found only one ball in the library—" Kiibo paused mid-speech. "...Oh. OH."

"Kiibo?" Tsumugi wiped her sweat off her forehead with the sleeves of her shirt. "W-What's wrong?"

"If the real culprit also killed Kirumi with a shot-put ball from the outside, then why is there only one shot-put ball in the library?" I pointed a finger into the air.

"...OH MY GOSH! THAT'S RIGHT!" Tenko faceplanted the podium.

"N-No way," Kaito's eyes shook in denial. "The entrances were blocked, so the real culprit had to have killed Kirumi from the outside with a shot-put ball, but then why is there only one shot-put ball in the library?!"

"Exactly! If the second culprit killed her from the outside, there should've been two shot-put balls rolling around in the library!" I yelled out. "We were the first ones to enter the library after Kirumi was killed, so there was no time for anyone to tamper with the evidence. It doesn't make sense for there to be only one shot-put ball. This can mean only one thing: there's a secret entrance and exit in the library that we're not aware of!"

"W-W-W-W-WHAT?!" Monokuma let loose a shriek, face contorting into one of comical dismay.

"Hey! Why are you the one acting all shocked like that?" Himiko puckered her lips, clicking her tongue in annoyance.

"W-W-W-W-W-What secret d-d-door?" Monokuma stammered.

"Daddy! Calm down!" Monophanie started to cry.

"Hell yeah! These fuckers don't know anything yet! Just keep quiet, papa!" Monokid plucked his guitar loudly and cackled.

"Door? What door?" Kiibo pressed his lips together.

"...GAH!" Monokuma slammed a hand over his mouth as he started to sweat.

There was an abrupt moment of silence as we all froze, staring blankly at Monokuma. We watched in complete silence as Monokuma whipped out his cocktail and started slurping loudly, beady eyes quivering. We all took a glance at each other, sweatdropping.

 _I guess that confirms my thoughts..._

"So, there is a hidden door somewhere in the library," Kiibo hummed in agreement immediately, nodding enthusiastically.

"Don't we already know such a door?" Tenko held her index finger up. "That one hidden door behind the bookcase!"

"But I already checked the card reader outside that door for dust," Shuichi placed a finger on his forehead, closing his eyes. "The dust was still there, so there's no way it was opened recently."

"What if there's another secret door in the library?" Angie raised her hand up into the air. "Did anyone check all the bookcases?"

"No," Rantaro immediately refuted. "There should be only one secret door in that library."

"Huh? How the hell would you know that, cherry-boy?" Miu spatted out.

"Trust me," Rantaro crossed his arms, staring at all of us with conviction in his mind. "I _know_ for a fact there's only one hidden door in the library."

"Uh, if you say so, Gonta understand?" Gonta gave him a thumbs up.

"Rantaro...?" I turned to him, confused. "How do you know for sure...?"

He only glanced back at me, a small smile on his face. "Sorry. It's a story for another time."

"But if that's the only hidden exit out of the library, then how did the culprit come out to mingle with us later?" Ryoma questioned.

"That's true," Kiibo cocked his head to the side in puzzlement. "Even if they somehow evaded the cameras and killed Kirumi inside, they had to have entered the hidden door to hide from us, but then they couldn't have entered the library from the front entrance as everyone else did."

"Besides, the door hadn't been opened recently..." Shuichi repeated.

"So isn't it still impossible for anyone to exit the library and mingle with us later?" Kaito groaned.

"No, it has to be possible!" I argued. "There's no other explanation."

"If there isn't another hidden exit to the library, then this crime is impossible to solve," Rantaro frowned. "But I know for a fact that there's only one hidden door in the library, and if that wasn't used..."

"...Then how on earth did the culprit leave?" Kiibo ended Rantaro's sentence for him.

"Geez, this is getting really dumb," Kokichi suddenly scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"What the hell did you just say?" Kaito glared at him.

"If you have something to say, then say it," Maki shot a look filled with disdain at Kokichi.

Kokichi just sighed loudly, shaking his head in exasperation. "You guys are so close and yet so far. Think carefully over your logic again."

"Huh...?" I cocked my head to the side. "What are you talking about?"

"As I said, the answer is literally hanging in front of you and yet you guys are thinking waaaaaaay too deeply into this," Kokichi snickered. "I'm surprised no one caught the obvious answer to this mystery yet."

"Huh?" Angie coughed.

"I have no idea what he's saying," Ryoma groaned.

"Hey, if you know the answer, just spit it out already!" Kaito yelled at him.

"Nishishi, but it's no fun if you guys don't discover the truth by yourselves!" Kokichi laughed out loud.

"Why you—" Kaito clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, silently seething in anger.

"It's okay, Kaito! I didn't expect anything out of you anyways," Kokichi continued to mock Kaito. Then, he pointed towards Shuichi and me. "I'll leave it to the two protagonists to end this mystery!"

I choked on thin air. "W-What the fuck?"

"Protagonist...?" Shuichi sweatdropped.

"Nishishi~ so, let's get on with the ride already!" Kokichi cheered. "Just think things carefully, and you'll be fine, Shiro-chan!"

"Just ignore him, Shirayuki," Shuichi sighed.

I laughed dryly. "Sure, let's work together to finish this mystery."

Shuichi nodded, a confident smile on his face.

* * *

 **{Psyche Taxi}**

 **Question 1: From where did the culprit kill Kirumi?**

A. From the Outside

B. From the Inside

(Thinking Time)

 **Question 2: How did the culprit leave the library without being spotted?**

A. Out the hidden bookcase

B. Out the front entrance

C. Out the rear entrance

(Thinking Time)

 **Question 3: How did the culprit enter the library without being spotted?**

A. By evading the cameras

B. From the hidden bookcase

C. The rear entrance

(Thinking Time)

 _Did the culprit kill Kirumi from the outside? No, that's impossible. The murder weapon was the shot-put ball, and there was only one shot-put ball in the library._

 _Did the culprit leave through the front entrance? Impossible, because Shuichi and the others were blocking the door. _

_Did the culprit leave through the rear entrance? Could be, if they waited until all of us gathered in front of the library and then hid in the hallway. _

_But that's only possible if the culprit secretly entered with Kirumi. If the mastermind is our culprit, they must've been watching everything through the security cameras. By the time Kaede's plan failed, and Kirumi entered the library, the mastermind must've still been in the room with the security camera._

 _So how did they get into the library? If they came running down after Kaede's plan failed, then they couldn't have entered through both the rear and front entrance, since it was blocked...which means the only place the mastermind used to enter the library was..!_

 **Answer: BAB - The culprit entered the library from the hidden bookcase, killed Kirumi from the inside, and left through the same hidden bookcase.**

* * *

"That's it!" Shuichi exclaimed as he slammed his fists onto the podium. "The mastermind must have entered the library through the hidden bookcase!"

"W-W-W-WHAT?!" Tenko and Kaito screamed in unison.

"They entered through the hidden bookcase...?" Maki was sweating as she knitted her brows together.

"Shuichi, what do you mean by that?" Kiibo demanded for an answer.

"We all know the hidden bookcase was hiding Monokuma's room, right?" I asked.

Kiibo nodded in confirmation. "Yes, that's why we thought the mastermind left the crime scene by entering into that secret room."

"But then they would have been trapped inside that room," Ryoma muttered with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Ah! I see," Korekiyo placed his fist onto his open palm in realization. "So what you're saying is that the inside of that room actually leads to the outside?"

"Exactly!" I nodded. "We only know that there's a secret room behind that bookcase, but we have no idea how it actually looks like. That room could be connected to a completely different place on campus."

"So the mastermind accessed the library by entering some hidden tunnel that led to that secret room behind the bookcase," Shuichi clarified. "Then, they simply leaped out of the room, killed Kirumi who was in the library at that time, then left before the bookcase closed by itself. Afterward, they simply went back through that tunnel and popped out somewhere on the school ground."

"Then, they simply had to wait for the body announcement," I continued. "That's how the culprit joined up with everyone else at the library later."

"I must say, that is somewhat a farfetched argument," Rantaro scratched his head. "A hidden tunnel? If there is one, we have no clue where it is."

"That's true," Kaede crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows. "We have no idea where the entrance to that secret tunnel is. It could quite literally be anywhere on the campus!"

"Only the mastermind would know," Korekiyo shook his head lightly. "Unfortunately, it seems we've come to a dead end once again."

"Wait," Shuichi's determined and confident voice broke everyone out of their confusion. "We might actually know who the mastermind is."

"Huh? Seriously?" Kaito blinked rapidly in surprise.

"Oh? Please do tell us then," Korekiyo's eyes were twinkling with amusement.

Shuichi nodded. "We might not know where the entrance to the secret tunnel is, but we do know one thing. The mastermind is someone who managed to use this hidden tunnel without anyone else noticing."

"Ah, I see," Rantaro eyes flashed with realization. "You want to double-check everyone's alibis, right?"

"Our alibis?" Kaede placed her hands on her hips. "Why our alibis?"

"Whoever is our culprit had to be someone who had a small lapse of time where they were alone," Shuichi explained. "So our primary suspicion goes to Ryoma, Kiibo, and Kokichi who were not present the entire time this evening."

"M-Me?!" Kiibo pointed to himself as he started to sweat buckets.

"I see," Ryoma shifted his beanie down to hide his face. "So it has come down to this, after all."

"I was just sleeping in my room though," Kokichi pouted. "Why am I a suspect?"

"So one of these three is the culprit, huh?" Maki narrowed her eyes and slowly looked at each of them. "One of them is a cold-blooded killer."

"Nishishi, are you sure you're one to say that?" Kokichi challenged Maki, a smirk on his face.

"You little..." Maki quietly seethed in anger.

"Hah! I knew it had to be one of you degenerate males!" Tenko guffawed out as she nodded to herself.

"Hey! Not all men are murderers, okay?" Kaito argued, making Kiibo sweatdrop.

"You're not really putting up a good fight here..." Kiibo sighed.

"If we let them speak about their respective alibis, then it should become clear who the culprit is," Shuichi started. "So why don't you three tell us exactly where and what you guys were doing the entire time—"

"Wait, Shuichi," I interrupted, feeling myself shiver unconsciously from my own thoughts. "There's one more person we should be adding to our suspect list."

"Huh?" Shuichi was taken aback by my interruption. "There is?"

I nodded, feeling everyone's eyes on me. I clenched my fists, feeling my nails scratch against my palm. But the physical pain that I was feeling was incomparable to the horror that came with my deduction.

 _If there really is a secret entrance that leads to that room behind the bookcase...then there's only one place I can think of. And if it really is that place, then it must have been...!_

"Yes, there's someone else who must enter the suspect list," I started. "We have to go through everyone's alibis, and that includes everyone who had time to sneak into the hidden tunnel alone."

"Well duh, that's why it's just those three, right?" Miu scoffed.

I shook my head. "No, there's one more person who had a brief moment alone."

I slowly raised my arm, pointing a finger at the said person in my mind. I narrowed my eyes at them and yelled out.

"It's you!"

 **[Select a Suspect]**


	13. Chapter 12: Trial 1 Part 3

**[Chapter 12: Trial 1 Part 3]**

"It's you!" I yelled out, pointing my finger at Tsumugi.

Tsumugi blinked, dumbfounded at my accusation. It took a few moments before the thought even registered into her mind: that she was actually being accused. Tsumugi was sweating, shaking her head furiously in disbelief. "M-Me? You're saying I'm a suspect in this case?!"

"Don't tell me," Korekiyo raised his eyebrows. "You think she left to kill Kirumi when she briefly left the dining hall?"

I nodded with confidence. "From your account, she left right after I ran out of the dining hall, right? Then she could have just lied to you guys about going to the bathroom and made a break for the secret tunnel."

"But I only left for three minutes!" Tsumugi argued back.

"Three minutes is enough to go and kill someone, especially if you had access to a secret tunnel," I narrowed my eyes at her.

"But we don't know where that secret tunnel is, right?" Kaito frowned. "What if it's located somewhere outside of the school building? If that's the case, then three minutes isn't enough for her to kill Kirumi."

"If that were the case, then our primary suspects end up being Ryoma, Kiibo, and Kokichi who were in their dorm rooms," Angie cheerily added.

"And what if the entrance to that secret tunnel is actually inside the school building?" I probed.

"Well, if that were the case, then..." Shuichi slowly turned his head towards Tsumugi, his eyes gleaming with suspicion. "It would have to be Tsumugi."

"T-This can't be right!" Tsumugi's eyes were filled to the brim with tears. "I only went to the bathroom because I needed to and now you're accusing me of murder?!"

"H-Hey, leave Tsumugi alone!" Tenko screamed as she placed herself into an aikido stance. "Tsumugi is definitely not the culprit! It must be one of you other three degenerate males instead!"

"But I was just resting in my own room..." Kiibo fiddled with his fingers in anxiety.

"I was lying on my bed when the body announcement started," Ryoma shrugged.

"And I was fast asleep!" Kokichi chimed in, entertained by everyone's reactions.

"Well, I just went to the bathroom too!" Tsumugi was clutching her chest in pain as her eyes flickered rapidly around the entire room.

"Why are you so panicked, Tsumugi?" I pressed with an intimidating and penetrating stare.

"Of course I'm panicking! You're accusing me of murder when I haven't done anything wrong," Tsumugi's lips wobbled as she spoke.

"Uh, Shirayuki? Why are you talking as if you think Tsumugi is the culprit? We still haven't cross-examined the other three's alibis," Shuichi shot me a puzzled look.

"Yeah! For all we know, the entrance to the secret tunnel could be anywhere on campus," Kaito tightened his expression. "We don't know for sure yet that Tsumugi is the culprit."

"If only that were the case, this would be so much better," I found myself voicing out as I clasped my arm, looking off to the side. "Unfortunately...I believe I stumbled upon the truth."

As soon as the words left my mouth, the courtroom descended into madness and pandemonium.

"Tsumugi is the culprit?!" Kiibo exclaimed, clasping his head in horror.

"No way! I don't believe it! Not one bit, nu-uh!" Tenko shook her head furiously, crossing her arms in defiance and denial.

"Shirayuki, what on earth are you saying?" Rantaro also backed off from his podium slightly, furrowing his brows in utter bewilderment.

"Nishishi! Now, this is getting so exciting!" Kokichi whistled, completely unfazed by the panic around him.

"Are you saying you know where the secret tunnel is...?" Ryoma turned to me in disbelief. "If that's true, then you're definitely the VIP of this trial."

"Tch, it's probably just a fucking fluke," Miu rolled her eyes and exhaled loudly. "Stupid bitch thinks she's so smart..."

"Hey, I never said I was smart," I snapped back. "I'm just using my head to the utmost of my capabilities, okay? I don't want to die just yet. There's a lot I want to accomplish in this lifetime."

"Nyahaha, Atua says we should believe in Shirayuki's words!" Angie flashed me a wink and thumbs up.

Himiko only frowned. "How could you have discovered the secret tunnel before my magic did...? Unfathomable."

Korekiyo chuckled. "If no one came up with any answers, I would have attempted to call Kirumi's spirit here. Perhaps she could tell us who killed her, kehehe."

"Stop it! Don't say something like that!" Kaito's expression morphed into one of genuine horror as he screamed.

"Is that true, Shirayuki? You know where the entrance to the secret tunnel is?" Shuichi brought everyone's attention back to the matter at hand.

I nodded confidently. "I didn't make sure that it was the entrance to the secret tunnel yet, but it's the closest thing to that."

"T-That's impossible! I-I don't believe you!" Tsumugi pointed an accusing finger at me. "She's trying to trick you guys. She has to be the real culprit of this case!"

"Nishishi, if you want to make an excuse, why not do a better job, Tsumugi-chan?" Kokichi's eyes gleamed with amusement. "We already concluded a loooooong time ago that Rantaro and Shirayuki were together the whole time!"

"B-But what if they were working together to kill Kirumi?" Tsumugi continued to argue.

"There's no benefit to working together. Only one of them could leave the trial alive. Monokuma clarified that fact for us," Ryoma recalled.

"Puhuhu, that's right!" Monokuma cackled from the sidelines.

Tsumugi whipped her head towards Monokuma, eyes wide. "W-Why are you acting like that...? Aren't you supposed to be—" Tsumugi clasped a hand over her mouth before she continued.

"Supposed to be...? Please, by all means, do continue your sentence," I leaned over my podium, glaring at her.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Tsumugi brushed her bangs out of her face. "You tell me. Where on earth is this entrance to the secret tunnel that you speak of? If you're wrong, I'll call out Gilgamesh to shock you to death!"

"Oh? So if you can tell whether I'm wrong, that means you know where the true entrance is, right?" I raised an eyebrow.

Tsumugi gasped. "I-I don't know! I don't know anything!"

"N-No way, is she really...?" Tenko stammered, pointing a shaking finger at Tsumugi.

"It can't be...Tsumugi? You didn't do it, did you?" Kaito's voice was shaking as he eyed her with disbelief.

"Of course not!" Tsumugi countered, glaring at me with fury in her eyes. "It's all this girl's fault! I'm not the culprit, okay?!"

"Sure, let's see you get yourself out of this one," I glared back at her. "The entrance to the secret tunnel is in a place that only you were capable of entering tonight."

"And where would that be?" Maki questioned.

I turned to her. "It's the girl's bathroom on the first floor."

"W-What?!" Angie exclaimed. "It was in the girl's bathroom all along? Oh my Atua!"

"W-Where in the bathroom? How come I didn't notice at all?" Tenko sputtered as she pulled her pigtails in horror.

"Nyeh? The bathroom?" Himiko sucked her index finger in an absentminded manner.

"The girl's bathroom...? I see, if that's the case, then our culprit had to have been Tsumugi," Shuichi confirmed my deduction.

"Huh? But why?!" Tsumugi screamed.

"Isn't it obvious? Our suspects without solid alibis are Kokichi, Kiibo, Ryoma, and you. Of the four of you, Tsumugi, you're the only one who's a female!" I declared. "None of the guys would have been able to enter the girl's bathroom!"

"B-But we don't know that for sure," Tsumugi protested. "It's not like there's a rule you can't enter the girl's toilet, right?"

"Well, I mean, yes," Shuichi sweatdropped. "But I highly doubt anyone would be brave enough to do that with Monokuma watching."

"Upupupu, that's a valid point," Monokuma snickered. "If I caught someone doing something as vulgar as that, I'd immediately stop them!"

"Even if it was part of their murder plan? You'd stop them? I thought you enjoyed watching us suffer," Tsumugi whirled her head and stared at Monokuma.

"Hm? True, I enjoy watching you guys suffer in despair! But I'd never break my own rules to do that. It wouldn't be a game anymore if no one followed the rules, right?" Monokuma's eyes were gleaming with anger and hostility. "If you're not the culprit, then you better make it less obvious, Tsumugi~"

"W-What? H-How could you do this...?" Tsumugi stammered.

"Tsumugi, it's over," I declared. "You're the culprit and the mastermind of this game. Please, admit it."

"W-Where's the proof?" Tsumugi protested.

I raised an eyebrow. "Proof? You mean of the entrance being in the girl's bathroom?"

"Y-Yeah! You don't have any proof, do you?!" Tsumugi started to lose her cool as she screamed out loud. "I'm not the culprit, okay? It's not me and that's final!"

"Woah, Tsumugi, calm down!" Kaito started to panic as he saw Tsumugi's panicked state of mind.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? How am I supposed to do that right now?!" Tsumugi screeched, pulling the strands of her hair. "WHY ARE YOU GUYS BELIEVING THIS GIRL'S WORDS SO EASILY? SHE'S TRYING TO TRICK YOU GUYS!"

"T-Tsumugi, please stop..." Shuichi begged, his eyes watering up. "Please don't do this anymore...!"

"IT WASN'T ME!" Tsumugi pointed an accusing finger at me. "SHOW ME YOUR PROOF NOW!"

I bit my bottom lip and looked away from her. I felt myself shaking. Deep inside me, I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to accuse Tsumugi. Maybe my deduction was wrong. It would be so good if that were the truth. After all, I didn't want to believe that Tsumugi, our friend and comrade, was actually the mastermind all along...

But I remembered Kaede's words.

 _Don't look away from the truth. You're just scared to reveal the truth. Without facing the truth, we can't move on!_

I raised my head up and stared at Tsumugi, meeting her panicked eyes that were filled with despair and horror.

"Alright, I'll show you the proof, Tsumugi!" I pointed my finger back at her.

* * *

 **{Argument Armament}**

"I'm not the culprit of this case!"

"Hidden tunnel? What hidden tunnel?"

"The room behind that hidden door doesn't connect to anything!"

"You don't have any proof!"

"You're just lying!"

"How many times do I have to say this?!"

"I'M NOT THE CULPRIT!"

"What if Kirumi killed herself?"

"That's it! Kirumi just committed suicide in there with Kaede's shotput ball!"

"Yeah! The true culprit is Kirumi, not me!"

"Suicide happened before, right?"

"It was in case 4 of another game!"

"What if someone killed Kirumi from somewhere else and then hurled her body into the library later?"

"Wait does that contradict my own statement?"

"ARGH, I DON'T KNOW."

"I'M NOT THE CULPRIT OF THIS CASE!"

"THERE IS NO HIDDEN TUNNEL!"

"If you have proof, then SHOW ME YOUR PROOF!"

 **[FINAL CHOICE]**

(Supply) (Bathroom) (Closet) (In)

(Bathroom) (Closet) (In) (Supply)

(Closet) (In) (Bathroom) (Supply)

(Supply) (Closet) (In) (Bathroom)

 **{Argument Break: Supply Closet In Bathroom}**

* * *

"The supply closet in the bathroom is where the hidden tunnel lies!" I pointed my finger at Tsumugi.

Tsumugi blanched, mouth hanging wide open as her eyes quivered. "T-T-T-The supply closet?"

"Shuichi, how did you find out about the hidden door behind that bookcase in the library?" I motioned towards Shuichi with my right hand.

"Well, I was looking around the library for any clues when I spotted something peculiar on the floor. In front of that particular bookcase, there were some markings on the ground, as if something had been dragged along it," Shuichi cupped his chin with his left hand, thinking off to the side. "That's when I realized that perhaps there was some hidden mechanism in that bookcase."

I nodded in agreement. "Right. Now, here's the thing. I happened to see the same markings on the floor inside the supply closet."

"What?! Is that true?" Kaito gaped, turning to the other girls for answers.

Maki shrugged. "Don't look at me. I never used the bathroom on the first floor."

"Hm, Angie never opened the supply closet," Angie cocked her head to the side. "I wonder if there really is a hidden passageway in there."

"Nyeh, I never went inside the bathroom there either," Himiko frowned.

"So, Shirayuki was the only one who saw those markings inside the supply closet?" Tenko raised an eyebrow.

"It seems so," Korekiyo chuckled while crossing his arms. "Now...whose words are we going to trust?"

"Huh?" I blinked rapidly. "What do you mean by that?"

"Uh, Shirayuki?" Shuichi quietly spoke up. "Even though you claim to have seen the engravings on the floor, no one else can back you up on that."

"...Seriously?" I grimaced. "You've got to be kidding me. Did nobody bother to check out the supply closet inside the bathroom before? When I opened the supply closet door, all these cleaning supplies came tumbling out. Someone must have made a mess inside, that's for sure."

"Again, those are just your words," Ryoma sighed out loud, shaking his head. "If we just blindly trust your words, then we're just falling into a trap."

"Wait, do you guys think I'm lying about this?" I shook my head in disbelief. "What reason would I have to lie about this?"

"I mean, isn't it possible that you're just tricking us into voting for Tsumugi because you're the real culprit of this case?" Ryoma clarified, narrowing his eyes at me.

"...W-What?!" I choked on thin air, coughing violently at his accusation.

"Hey, isn't it impossible for Shirayuki to be the culprit?" Kaede interjected. "We already checked out her alibi earlier!"

"That may be true, but we still don't have concrete proof that the hidden passageway really lies inside that supply closet, right?" Kiibo tightened his lips as he spoke out. "I don't want to be suspicious of Shirayuki, but she's the only one who saw those markings on the floor in the bathroom."

"Please don't get me wrong, Shirayuki! But if your findings were actually wrong, we'll all be screwed!" Tenko clapped her hands together and bowed, apologizing wholeheartedly. "I really want to believe in you...but right now, I don't know anymore. I don't want Tsumugi to be the culprit..."

"Guys..."I trailed off, clenching my fists.

"Don't worry, Shirayuki! I believe in your words!" Kaito pounded a fist onto his chest, flashing me a huge grin. "You've been a huge help for us this entire time. I trust in your abilities!"

"But she's accusing Tsumugi," Maki narrowed her eyes at Kaito's words. "Are you saying you're choosing to believe her words over Tsumugi's?"

"Kaito, it really wasn't me!" Tsumugi immediately whipped her head towards Kaito. She clasped her hands together as she shook violently in her seat. She stared at Kaito with watery eyes, pleading for mercy. "Please, trust me. We're friends, right?"

"H-Huh?" Kaito faltered, his smile dropping as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, uh, I mean, yeah! We're friends so I should trust you too!"

Kokichi scoffed from his seat on the podium. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Geez, so much for trusting in Shiro-chan."

"W-Well, I mean, they could both be saying the truth, right? It might not be Tsumugi!" Kaito argued.

"But she's the only one without an alibi that is able to enter the girl's bathroom tonight at the time of the murder," Shuichi nodded with conviction. "If we trust Shirayuki's words, then everything falls right into place."

"Hey! It's not certain yet that the passageway is in the bathroom, right?!" Miu spatted out, growling at me with disdain and fury. "If by any chance that hidden passageway wasn't located in the supply closet, then those three cherry boys become the main suspects, right? If we vote blindly for Tsumugi, we're all just going to get fuckin' screwed!"

"I-I want to believe in your words, Shirayuki," Kaede was choking up as she turned towards me. "I also want to believe in Tsumugi, but right now, we can't turn our eyes away from the truth!"

"Gonta doesn't believe Tsumugi is culprit," Gonta frowned.

"Nyeh, she's suspicious, though," Himiko rolled her eyes.

"Kehehe, I wonder who I should believe?" Korekiyo was visibly amused by the situation as he silently shook in his seat from laughter.

Ryoma groaned. "I don't know what to believe anymore..."

"Well, this is troubling," Rantaro sighed. "It seems our opinions are split."

As soon as the words left Rantaro's mouth, Monokuma perked up from his throne. He leaped out of his seat, raising his hands up into the air. "Hm? Did someone just say...split?! You did! I heard it with my belly button microphone!"

"Wait, so your ears don't do anything?!" Tenko did a double take, her jaws dropping.

"The Ultimate Academy is proud to present its very own morphenomenal trial grounds!" Monokuma announced, chuckling with his hands over his mouth.

"The morphenomenal trial grounds? Is that even a word?" Maki rolled her eyes.

"The trial grounds are going to morph?! Seriously?! I'd tooooootally want to see that!" Kokichi's eyes were glimmering with stars as he stared at Monokuma with excitement.

"Upupupu, well then, hang on to your podiums and let's get this debate scrum started!" Monokuma declared.

Monokuma pulled out a large golden key out of nowhere. Shoving it into a keyhole on his throne, the podiums that we were standing on suddenly started to float. Everyone immediately grabbed the rails of their podiums, steadying themselves as Monokuma separated us into two distinct groups of varying opinions.

* * *

 **{Debate Scrum}**

 **Question: Is Tsumugi the culprit?**

 **[Tsumugi isn't the culprit!]** \- Kiibo, Ryoma, Korekiyo, Miu, Angie, Tenko, Gonta, Tsumugi

 **[Tsumugi is the culprit!]** \- Kaede, Kaito, Rantaro, Kokichi, Shuichi, Himiko, Maki, Shirayuki

 **(Debate Scrum Start!)**

"Tsumugi only left the dining hall for three minutes. I don't think that's enough time to go murder someone," Kokekiyo put forth his argument.

"But three minutes is enough for her to kill Kirumi if she used the secret passageway in the girl's bathroom!" Kaede argued with a confident look on her face.

"What if Shirayuki is simply lying about that so we end up picking the wrong culprit on purpose?" Ryoma accused.

"But why on earth would she be lying about that when she's not the culprit?" Maki narrowed her eyes.

"Hah! This bitch must have fabricated her alibi somehow! She definitely killed Kirumi!" Miu cackled with her hands on her hips.

"She was with me the entire time. Shirayuki has a solid alibi, no matter what anyone says," Rantaro crossed his arms, glaring at Miu.

"But what if you two were colluding to kill Kirumi?" Angie laughed. "That's why you're backing up each other's alibis!"

"I thought there was no point in colluding because only one person could escape," Himiko drawled, sighing.

"W-Well, what if they were in love or something and were willing to do whatever it takes to let one of them survive?!" Tenko screamed, pointing a finger at us.

"Nishishi, I don't know much about love, but I can say one thing for sure. Rantaro and Shirayuki aren't so crazy they'd pull something as cliche as that!" Kokichi snorted at Tenko's remarks.

"But if Shirayuki is wrong, then we be voting for wrong person!" Gonta frowned.

"Even if she may be wrong, it's the closest we've ever been to discovering the truth of this case. Besides, I believe in her!" Kaito proudly announced with a huge grin.

"I can't believe that Tsumugi is the culprit. It can't be the truth!" Kiibo shook his head as he started to choke up from the tears.

"No, we have to face the truth. We can't look away from it. It's for everyone's sake!" Shuichi nodded with a comforting smile.

"I'm not the culprit of this case!" Tsumugi pleaded.

"I'm sorry. I really want to believe in you, but Tsumugi, you are the culprit of this case!" I declared.

 **(Crouch Bind!)** xxxxxxooooooxxxx

I turned to the members on my side and nodded. In unison, we pointed our fingers at the other team. "This is our answer!"

 **{Argument Break: Full Counter}**

* * *

 **{INTERMISSION}**

"...Huh?" Tsumugi's face went blank, completely devoid of emotion. "What's going on?"

"Tsumugi, it's over," Shuichi glared at her. "You killed Kirumi, didn't you?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Tsumugi's eyes were dark and cold as she glanced around the room. "Me? The culprit?"

"Tsumugi, why did you do it?" Kaito clenched his fist, turning his head away from her. He shook violently on the podium. "Why did you kill Kirumi? Just...WHY?!"

"Why am I the culprit?" Tsumugi's voice was monotonic. "Huh? Someone tell me."

"Because you're the only one who can use the hidden passageway in the girl's bathroom," Kaede's voice quivered slightly as she spoke out the truth. "No one else could have killed Kirumi but you."

"...Huh? Wait wait wait wait wait, hold up. The passageway in the bathroom? What are you guys talking about?" Tsumugi scoffed as she fiddled with her hair. "What passageway? I don't know about any of that."

"Are you really pretending now?" Maki grimaced, eying her with disgust. "Learn to give up. It's over."

"Over? What's over? The game?" Tsumugi broke out into laughter. She doubled over onto her podium, smacking the rails as she howled. Her eyes began to tear up as she laughed her entire heart out. "Ha...haha...HAHAHAHAHAHA! THE GAME? ENDING? NEVER!"

"T-Tsumugi, are you the mastermind?" Tenko voiced out the question of everyone's mind. "Please tell me it's not you."

"The only person who could have committed this crime is the mastermind," I explained. "Only the mastermind, who has been watching everything from the security cameras thus far, could have known about Kaede's plan, Rantaro's actions, Kirumi's actions, and all our actions. Without knowledge of all that, to time the crime so elaborately and perfectly like this would have been an impossible feat."

"No way, so it really is you?" Kaito's finger shook as he pointed his index finger at Tsumugi.

"Why are you all believing her words so easily...?" Tsumugi drawled out, cocking her head to the side. "Shirayuki may be completely wrong about that tunnel in the girl's bathroom. So why can you all believe her so easily?"

"It's true that she doesn't have any proof to back up her claims," Shuichi started. "But that's what trusting is all about, right?" Shuichi turned to me with a smile on his face. "I trust the Shirayuki that I've seen in this trial. I trust in the actions that she has been taking behind the scenes."

"Shuichi..." I felt myself slightly tear up from his words.

"If it was all an act, then I'll be damned," Ryoma sighed. "But if so, then I guess it means I just chose to believe the wrong person."

"That's right! She's been a great help so far in this trial and I'll believe in that until the very end," Kiibo nodded.

"So in the end, you're just going to leave everything to luck?" Tsumugi blinked. "Wow, you just must be complete idiots."

"W-What did you just say?" Kaito yelled, narrowing his eye at him.

"That pretty much confirms it," Maki sighed. "This change in attitude...it's clear Tsumugi is hiding something."

"Upupupu~ so, is voting time now?" Monokuma chuckled from the sidelines.

Tsumugi turned to Monokuma, eyes flaring with uncontained fury. "Sure. I'm done. I'm out."

"Alrighty then! IT'S...VOTING TIME!" Monokuma exclaimed.

The screens on our podium suddenly turned on. Seventeen images appeared on the screen. Without hesitating, I immediately pressed Tsumugi's photo, casting my vote. Soon enough, the entire room finished casting their votes.

"Alright! The votes have been cast! Now here are the results," Monokuma pointed up towards the ceiling as a large monitor screen drifted down from above.

On the large screen, everyone's votes were shown. There were sixteen votes for Tsumugi and one for me. I immediately glanced over towards Tsumugi who was glaring daggers at me, making me wince.

 _I guess she voted for me..._

Then, a large colorful roulette wheel appeared on the screen. We watched in silence as the roulette spun, finally coming to a halt on Tsumugi's face. The bright colors and flashing lights surrounded the word written in large bold font: **GUILTY**.

* * *

"Andddd congratulations! You guys have voted for the correct blackened of this case: Tsumugi Shirogane!" Monokuma announced.

There were mixed reactions in the crowd. Some of us were celebrating in relief that we had picked the right culprit. There were others that simply couldn't believe the fact that Tsumugi had murdered Kirumi. Then, there were others that were completely overjoyed that the mastermind had been correctly identified and that the game would be ending.

"S-Seriously? So Shirayuki was right," Ryoma stood still in disbelief.

"I can't believe it...Tsumugi killed Kirumi for real?" Tenko was chewing on her thumb like a starved hamster. "W-Why? How could this be?"

"Nyeh, so it's over? Can we go home now?" Himiko's eyes drooped as she yawned, stretching her arms and legs.

"Tsumugi, are you the mastermind?" I asked for clarification, feeling wary of her actions now that the game was over.

Tsumugi only looked at me with disdain in her eyes. "Really? You're asking me that now?" Tsumugi scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Whatever I say, you'll just insist I'm the mastermind anyways, so I won't answer that question."

"Hah! It's fucking obvious you're the mastermind," Miu mocked, a smug smirk dripping on her lips. "Just confess up like a man already, kyahahahaha!"

Kiibo sweatdropped, sighing from the sidelines. "She's not a man though..."

"Tsumugi, can you tell me why? Why did you do this?" Kaede frowned, as she took a step forward.

"Stop right there," Tsumugi snapped at her, making Kaede flinch. "There's no reason. I just wanted to do it, that's all."

"What, so you're saying you just suddenly wanted to create this killing game? That's crazy!" Kaito gaped, shaking his head violently. "I don't believe you!"

Tsumugi suddenly smirked, raising an amused eyebrow. "Crazy, huh? How ironic, being called crazy by you guys who are in the same boat as I am."

"In the same boat...?" Shuichi narrowed his eyes at her statement. "What do you mean by that?"

Tsumugi only shrugged. "Nothing. Just ignore me. Now, shall we get this started, Monokuma?"

"Started? What is starting?" Angie questioned.

"Upupupu, of course, the punishment!" Monokuma spread his arms wide as he started to cackle. "The blackened must be executed, right? That's the rule of this game!"

"Please wait!" Kaede protested, running up to Monokuma. "We don't want to kill Tsumugi. It's true, she might have killed Kirumi, but it's not like we're wishing for her death—" Kaede never got to finish her sentence.

"Oh please, stop it with that goody two shoe act. It makes me sick," Tsumugi gagged, coughing violently to herself.

"H-Huh?" Kaede stumbled backward, legs shaking.

"Have you forgotten, Kaede? I tried to make you my scapegoat. You were scheduled to be the one who died today. You were supposed to be the blackened of this case, not me," Tsumugi confessed. "Unfortunately, that plan all went to waste, because of a certain rascal."

She shot me a threatening glare, her eyes flaring with pure hatred and fury. "If only you weren't here...this is all your fault."

"...What? It's your fault for killing someone over a stupid game," I countered, glaring back at her with the same level of hatred. "This outcome is all your own fault, Tsumugi. Don't blame me for your actions."

"Blame you? Oh, I would never blame you for my actions. After all, I don't regret a single thing. I started this game and that's more than enough," Tsumugi flashed a genuine smile that sent shudders down everyone's spines. "There's nothing that is more important to me than getting this game rolling."

"Y-You're out of your mind...!" Kaito clutched his head in despair.

"If I'm out of my mind, then so are you guys," Tsumugi laughed at Kaito's words.

"What do you mean by that?" Shuichi asked.

"That's not something I can answer," Tsumugi raised an eyebrow. "Why should I, when you guys are sending me to my death?"

"Heeeeey, can we get started with the punishment already? We can't let everyone get bored!" Monokuma whined from his seat on the throne.

"Alright, let's get it started now," Tsumugi grinned and turned towards Monokuma, spreading her arms out wide. "Give me your best shot. Make it the best execution ever, okay?"

"Upupupu, I sure got it!" Monokuma cackled. The floor in front of Monokuma's throne suddenly opened up as a stand rose up from the underground. A large red button lied on top of the stand. Monokuma whipped out a large gavel from behind his back.

"W-Wait, but if you die then the game will end, right?" Tenko stammered out.

Tsumugi's grin didn't falter at all as she turned her head around to look at us. "Of course not. This game will _never_ end."

"Huh?" I found a dreadful feeling welling up inside of me. "D-Don't tell me..."

Tsumugi closed her eyes shut as she continued on smiling, as elegant and undisturbed as ever. "It doesn't matter whether I die or not. Because I'm **not** the true mastermind."

"...What?" Rantaro narrowed his eyes at her.

"Nishishi, so this game isn't actually ending? Great! Now, I can have more fun~" Kokichi chuckled, eyes beaming with joy.

"Upupupu, alrighty then!" Monokuma started as he raised the gavel up high.

"Let me leave my last words," Tsumugi turned to face me, a smirk on her face. "You should have just quietly sat back on the sidelines. Now, the only thing awaiting you is the worst kind of **despair** you'll ever feel. Mark my words, Shirayuki. I'm not going down alone without taking all of you with me, especially _you,_ my demise."

"Now then, it'sssss PUNISHMENT TIME!" Monokuma slammed his gavel onto the red button.

* * *

 **GAME OVER**

Tsumugi Shirogane has been found guilty!

 _Time for the Ultimate Cosplayer's Punishment!_

The room descended into chaos as a loud and raucous alarm began to blare. The entire room was flashing in deep red as sirens began wailing. From above, a rope came dangling down. At the end of the rope was a collar with Monokuma's face embedded onto it. The rope swung towards Tsumugi, locking her neck with the collar. Without warning, the rope was yanked up as Tsumugi's frail body shot up into the air.

Tsumugi found herself being dropped into a large empty room surrounded by nothing but television screens, each buzzing with viewers. Out of nowhere, thin, razor-sharp wires wrapped themselves around each of her limbs. The Monokubs then came rushing into the room, holding a bunch of costumes in their hands.

 **[Punishment: Puppet on a String]**

Without warning, Tsumugi was dressed up in a variety of costumes. The Monokubs worked fast with their nimble hands and dolled her up. She was dressed in yellow pigtails as they gowned her with a bright orange kimono. Monokuma took his place behind the room, holding the strings as he fiddled around with them.

A lovely tune, like a waltz, drifted into the room as Tsumugi found a Japanese fan being thrust into her hands. She pranced around the room like a traditional dancer, elegantly waving her fan, hair whishing in harmony with the music.

Then, the Monokubs returned with a different set of clothing. They threw the yellow wig off her head and replaced it with a blue one with neon pink highlights. A large black bow was placed on her head as she was changed into a school uniform with blue and pink accents. Her socks were of different colors: one dark pink and one dark blue. Monosuke threw a large electric guitar into her hands.

The waltz tune from before was no longer heard, as a new metal-rock tune blasted through the air. Monokuma pulled on the strings once again as Tsumugi was forced to strum her hands against the guitar, sending out discordant chords. She banged her head up and down as the crowd cheered behind the television screens.

Tsumugi was grinning and laughing wildly from the bottom of her heart as the crowd started clapping, cheering her name.

Then, the lights in the room shut off. In the pitch-black darkness, the Monokubs returned, dressing her up in her last outfit. Monokuma then yanked on the strings, pulling her out of the room into a separate one.

She was positioned onto a traditional school desk, her hair light pink, tied up in pigtails with Monokuma-faced hair clips holding them in place. Her uniform was now black with a vibrant red skirt, accompanied with knee-length boots. A Monokuma doll was dropped into her hands as the conveyor belt below her started to move backward.

Tsumugi took a quick glance behind, sweat pouring down her face as a large press slammed down onto the conveyor belt behind her.

All of a sudden, Monodam walked over to Monosuke and stole the pair of glasses away from him. Monosuke panicked as Monodam kicked him onto the conveyor belt. He scrambled on the conveyor belt, looking for his glasses.

The conveyor belt came to a sudden stop. Monosuke looked up in harmony with Tsumugi.

The press came crashing down.

 ***SPLAT***

Inside the room with the television screens, the sound of laughter and cheering filled the air as everyone applauded Tsumugi's final performance.

* * *

Before the execution, our minds were filled with questions for her. Why did she kill Kirumi? Why on earth would she create such a horrifying game? Why is the game still not ending after her death?

But now, our minds felt blank.

There were so many words that I had prepared in my head — so many questions that I had tried out and moved around and changed and rephrased until I finally thought of the perfect thing to ask, but that had all disappeared without a trace.

The small glimmer of hope that we felt from discovering the mastermind's identity was nothing but a lie. Hope? There was no such thing as hope here in the Ultimate Academy. The world felt icy cold as the realization rested heavy on my shoulders, slowly crushing the air from my lungs.

"What...is...this?" Kaito murmured to himself.

No one responded. Of course, they didn't. How would they know what just transpired in front of their eyes? There were no words to describe how we felt after Tsumugi's punishment was over.

"Upupupupu, congratulations on selecting the correct culprit!" Monokuma guffawed, holding his belly as he laughed his heart out. "Well? How do you feel? Does it feel great to be alive?"

"Is this...for real?" I found myself whispering, voice shaking. I felt my legs tremble as I resisted the urge to collapse onto the ground.

"Hm? Of course, this is real! There's no way this is all fiction, right? Someone just actually died and that is the undeniable truth!" Monokuma cackled.

"H-Hey, what gives, Monodam?" Monosuke frowned. "Why did you kick our dear brother like that?"

"What have you done, Monodam?!" Monophanie started vomiting rainbows as she stared at her brother's corpse.

"What the fuck? Not cool, Monodam!" Monokid screamed, slamming his guitar onto Monodam's head.

Monodam didn't respond and simply turned away, disappearing out of the courtroom.

"Hm, I guess that's our cue to leave," Monosuke nodded.

"Bye kuma!" The monobears yelled out as they took their leave, though nobody was paying attention to them.

"A-Are you fuckin' kidding me? T-Talk about overkill..." Miu had snot and drool dripping all over her face as she gagged, nausea overwhelming her.

"Atua, please grant Kirumi and Tsumugi's soul eternal repose," Angie clasped her hands together with her eyes closed as she prayed for their souls.

"H-How dare you? Does human life have no value to you at all?" Tenko had tears pouring down her face as she clenched her fists, eying Monokuma with pure hatred. "What are we, your play toys?!"

"What are you saying? Of course, I know how precious life is..." Monokuma started. "That's why it's even more fun to end it!"

"Kehehe, you've surpassed psychotic by a wide margin," Korekiyo uttered, though his laugh had no humor behind it. For the first time ever since we've been in the Ultimate Academy, Korekiyo might have been truly angered by the execution.

"...I don't think I've ever quite felt this irritated," Ryoma pulled the rim of his beanie down as she stared daggers at Monokuma.

"Hm? Why are you guys so mad? Tsumugi was never on your side, you know?" Monokuma covered his mouth as he snickered. "If you guys are covering up for her, that means you guys are just first class idiots!"

"It doesn't matter," Kaito seethed in fury as he bit his lips until it started bleeding. "She...She didn't deserve to die like this...! I won't forgive you, playing with our lives like that!"

"Like I said, this whole thing was Tsumugi's idea," Monokuma cocked his head to the side in an innocent manner. "She planned this killing game, right? So why are you guys so sad over her death?"

"But was she really?" Shuichi narrowed his eyes. "If she was...then why is this game not ending?"

"Upupupu, beats me!" Monokuma shrugged. "Maybe she was the mastermind, maybe she wasn't! Anyways, it doesn't matter what you guys do. Like she said, this game is never going to end until only two of you are left alive!"

"What do you mean by that?" Maki narrowed her eyes at Monokuma.

"Well, that's your job to find out!" Monokuma brushed off Maki's question. "Anyways, keep up the great work and let's have a great killing semester!" Monokuma disappeared out of the courtroom, leaving us fifteen students to wallow in despair.

"I think...I'm going to hurl...blech—" Tenko covered her mouth and turned away, her skin turning green and blue from nausea.

"It's okay, Tenko. It'll be okay," Kaede attempted to console her, but such words only felt empty and meaningless when faced with overwhelming despair.

"Nyeh, I think I'm going crazy. I've run out of mana. I need to recharge," Himiko yawned, rubbing her eyes. "We can go now, right?"

"If you want, be my guest," Ryoma shrugged.

"So in the end, we still can't leave this place, huh?" Korekiyo muttered. "What a hopeless situation. The mastermind is dead and yet the game won't end."

"We can't give up on hope now, guys!" Kaede's words mirrored those from when we attempted to make it through the despair tunnel. "We just have to make sure that nothing like this happens again!"

"How? What if Monokuma sets a time limit again?" Maki pointed out.

"Gonta will fight! For everyone sake!" Gonta pounded his chest with his fists.

"No, don't fight," Kiibo sweatdropped. "If you do, the Exisals will get you."

"Exisal? Oh, the robots? It'll be fine! Don't worry about Gonta," Gonta's innocent and carefree smile lifted up everyone's spirits.

 _Leave it to Gonta to make everyone feel at peace..._

"So...I guess, there's nothing we can do now, huh?" Kaito sighed, as he cracked his neck. "Man, things are all stiff in here. Let's just call it a day for now."

"I agree," Rantaro nodded, appreciating Kaito's initiative. "There's no point in staying here any longer. We all need some rest. It's already late in the night."

"Now that you mention it, the trial started around 11:00 pm, so it's probably way past midnight now," Korekiyo blinked, feeling the exhaustion creep up on him. "We should all head back now."

No words were spoken after Korekiyo's suggestion. Like the walking dead, we all slowly dragged our way towards the elevator. The elevator ride was completely silent. The air permeating the fifteen of us was dark and bleak.

As the elevator came to a stop, we all filed out and headed immediately to our respective rooms.

"Uh, I guess...see you guys all later," Kaito rubbed the back of his head in an awkward manner before he went inside his room.

"...Night," Shuichi muttered before he disappeared behind his door.

Soon enough, there was no one left standing outside the dorm rooms...

Except for Kokichi and I.

"Nishishi, well now, that was quite the fun ride, wasn't it?" Kokichi spoke for the first time after Tsumugi's execution. "I can't believe Tsumugi was really the mastermind! Your instincts were spot-on!"

I didn't reply. I just stared blankly at the floor, head hung low, waiting for him to continue.

"But what was more surprising was that last contribution you made. Who would've thought there was a secret tunnel inside the girl's bathroom on the first floor?" Kokichi was grinning widely, probably the widest yet.

Then, he walked up next to me and grabbed my shoulders, turning me to face him. I kept my head hanging low, a shadow cast over my face. "You're amazing! Without you, we would've never been able to corner Tsumugi like that. Nishishi, as expected of my partner~"

I felt my fingers twitch at his remarks. He lightly shook me back and forth, laughter spilling out of his lips.

"Now, the mastermind is gone so we'll have a much easier time!" Kokichi hummed in an upbeat manner. "With the mastermind gone, no more killings will start and we can finally live in peace!"

Something inside me was crumbling.

"We can all get out of here alive tomorrow, I think. Whoever is controlling Monokuma is dead already, so the game can't continue! Or maybe..." Kokichi trailed off, a sly smirk making its way up onto his face. "I'll start the game myself and become the next mastermind! It'll be too boring to let the game end after one round. Let's have a rematch and this time, I'll be the mastermind!"

"Hey, what do you think about that, Shirayuki? Hey—"

 **"Stop."**

Kokichi froze immediately. I felt his grip on my shoulder loosen. I reached up towards his hands and pulled them off my shoulder. I felt the tears that I had been suppressing burst open.

"J-Just...not now, Kokichi..." I found myself choking on my own tears as I hurriedly wiped them off with the sleeves of my sweater.

This time, it was his turn to stand in silence.

"It's not ending, Kokichi. It's just not ending. This game. Everything. It's not," I found myself repeating as I shook my head.

I sobbed into my hands, the tears dripping between my fingers onto the cold hard ground below. My breathing was ragged and I gasped for air, feeling the strength leaving my leg. My whole body trembled as I resisted the urge to simply collapse, right then and there.

"I know what you're doing...what you actually feel...but just...I can't help you right now when I can't even save myself," my heart was breaking into a million pieces. The confusion, terror, and guilt were too much to bear. "I know I said I would accept your lies as they are, but right now, I can't. I don't want to hear it." I clasped both hands over my ears as I shut my eyes tight.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." my voice continued to tremble as I chanted an apology, over and over and over again.

Time seemed to stop as I continued to wallow in my own miseries. For a second, I thought Kokichi had already left. He didn't utter a single word, as I continued to sob. Feeling like the conversation was done, I turned around and placed my hand on the handle of my room's door.

I sniffed. "Sorry...I'll go now...okay?"

I yanked the handle down and opened the door, trying to escape from the situation. Before I managed to close the door from the inside, Kokichi stuck his foot inside my room, his hand grabbing the side of the door to prevent it from closing.

I stared at him, face still damp and wet from my breakdown. Kokichi had an unreadable expression on his face. It was unlike anything I had seen before. It wasn't completely blank and it wasn't expressive either.

It was as if he was unsure of how to react. His fingers were twitching as he contemplated in his mind. A moment later, he reached his hand inside the room through the gap between the door and placed it lightly on my head.

I blinked, feeling the tears halt. I glanced up to his hand, confused.

"Kokichi...?" I found myself mumbling.

As if my words shook him out of a trance, he jerked his hand back immediately. Before I knew it, the familiar mischievous grin was back onto his face. "Nishishi, good night, Shiro-chan!"

He took his feet out of my room.

The door closed shut with a thud.

* * *

 **A/N:** Welps. There you have it. The finale of the first chapter of the game. I hope everything fell into place by the end of this chapter xD

I'm writing this author's note at the end of the chapter instead because I have an announcement to make. I've been diligently updating every week since I started this story, but the next chapter will come after a **three-week** or **one-month** break for the following reasons:

1\. As you can see, I put in a lot of thought into each trial and making sure that there are no plotholes. Right now, to be honest, I haven't completely planned out the second murder yet. I've already written things out, but I want to spend more time fleshing things out, so I need some time to do that. I do want to keep giving you guys some real nice mysteries, after all :)

2\. I'm a university student and I literally just went through an entire week of all-nighters and exams. At this rate, I'm about to land myself in the hospital if I don't take proper rest during this spring break, so I'm going to take some time off writing to rest and catch-up on life for a bit.

3\. Juggling college and writing as a hobby is reaaaaaally tiring. My grades have taken quite the tumble (though I don't regret writing one bit). I do want some time off to catch up on my studies a bit, so I don't disappoint myself and my family.

Don't be alarmed though, I'm _**definitely**_ returning. I already have a bunch of drafts half-written, so there's no way I'm quitting xD I just want to take a fresh breath of air, rest well, and return with quality content again.

Well then, see you guys in a few weeks! I hope everyone's happy, well, and healthy while I'm gone. Much love to all you readers. You make my life. :)


	14. Chapter 13: New Discoveries

**A/N:** I AM BACKKKK! Thank you for the wait! We are now back to daily life *phew* This is somewhat like a filler chapter. I want to develop the relationship between the casts of the game as well, so I'll be focusing on that in this chapter. Next murder won't be happening for a while, so relax and enjoy the ride!

 **P.S:** By the way, this website has been messing around lately with their platform. For some reason, I can't see the line breaks appear, so I just threw in a few wiggly lines instead of the usual ffn line break function.

* * *

 **[Chapter 13: New Discoveries]**

People react differently to loss. Some experience intense periods of sadness, rumination, or other problems that can be difficult to deal with. Others realize the fragility of life and get swallowed up alive by the fear of death. There are those whose emotions manifest themselves into dreams or nightmares. And then there are a selected few who keep on living as if nothing had happened.

In the case of the remaining fifteen students...

"...Holy shit," Ryoma's eyes were bulging as he stared in awe at the feast laid upon the dining table.

"Hm? Oh, good morning, Ryoma!" Kaede popped her head out of the kitchen and flashed her usual heart-warming smile. "Feel free to take a seat! We're not done cooking everything yet, but you can start first if you're hungry."

"Nyahaha, this is great!" Angie was poking her chopsticks through the sweet batter-fried fish on her plate. "Atua would love to have more of this delicious fish~"

"Nyeh, surprisingly, it's edible," Himiko chewed over her words, munching on her breakfast.

"Of course it is! I made that, after all!" Tenko walked over towards Himiko with a proud grin on her face. "Eat up!"

"...What is this supposed to be?" Ryoma deadpanned, rubbing his eyes once. Then, he blinked rapidly. "Am I still dreaming?"

"No, you're not," Kiibo laughed joyfully as he watched everyone else eat with glee. "Kaede and Tenko made breakfast for us."

"Oh...alright then," Ryoma reluctantly walked over to an open seat and sat down. He glanced over all the dishes on top of the table, eying them with wary. "So, I can eat anything on the table?"

"Yep! Go ahead," Kaede yelled from inside the kitchen as she flipped the pancakes on the griddle with a spatula. "We have pancakes coming up next, so leave some space in your stomach for dessert!"

"Woah, what the heck is this?!" Kaito's voice came entering into the dining hall. "Since when did we have a chef here?!"

"Kehehe, are we having a feast today?" Korekiyo walked in after Kaito, heading over to a free seat immediately.

"Gonta smell something nice!" Gonta entered through the backdoor of the dining hall, closing the door gently behind him. "W-What is all of this?" Gonta was frantically looking at the plates on the table. "Gonta never see food like this before in Gonta's life!"

"Well, you lived in the forest, didn't you?" Ryoma, who was now completely relaxed in his seat, pointed out. "Kaede and Tenko made some high-end breakfast dishes here, so it's not surprising you wouldn't recognize a few."

"This is a salmon galette, right?" Rantaro spoke up from beside Ryoma.

"Yeah, I think it is—" Ryoma spat out the drink in his mouth, coughing violently as he turned his head towards Rantaro in shock and horror. "When the hell did you get in here?!"

"Oh, I was actually in the kitchen with Kaede and Tenko," Rantaro sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "They knocked on my door this morning, asking me for advice about cooking, so I came down to teach them."

"Geez, if you were here, say something earlier," Ryoma sweatdropped. "You scared the daylights out of me."

"Haha, sorry about that," Rantaro clapped his hands together and apologized.

"There you are, you fucking robot!" Miu slammed the door to the dining hall open, making everyone jump in surprise at the sudden noise. "I was searching for you all over the place. Why the fuck didn't you come to see me?"

Kiibo winced as he started to back away into the corner of the dining hall. "Uh, I just wanted to spend breakfast with everyone first..."

"HUH? You can't even eat, so why the hell are you even here?" Miu groaned, stomping over towards Kiibo. She grabbed Kiibo my the arm, making him shriek as she harshly pulled him over. "Come on, I'll give you some amazing grade A oil, so just come with me to my room!"

"W-WOAH, wait please, anything but that!" Kiibo was thrashing in Miu's grip as he started to panic.

"Uh, what's going on?" Kaito frowned.

"NO! Uh, I mean, nothing is going on!" Kiibo frantically turned his head towards Kaito, waving his free hand into the air.

"I just wanted to do some maintenance on this guy," Miu announced, pulling Kiibo's head towards her with her arm. Kiibo choked as she locked his head next to her shoulder. "See, I figured I do a little tinkering with this guy's body parts and upgrade some stuff."

"...Tinkering?" Ryoma raised a dubious eyebrow at her choice of words.

"You know, the usual stuff that inventors do, like pulling segments apart, cleaning up their body, rewiring things, smelling the condition of the metal, adjusting sensors, getting really hot and deep into shit and—" Miu went through the list out loud, making everyone else grimace.

"Oh god, please, stop," Kaito was gagging, as he felt a headache rush up.

"Smell? Why the heck would you smell the metal?" Ryoma looked at her with disgust.

"Ew," Himiko spat out her food, face green. "All of a sudden, I lost my appetite..."

"I don't want to know what you mean by getting deep into stuff," Korekiyo shook his head lightly, sighing in exasperation.

"When you say that, it means you're already thinking of something in your head though," Rantaro raised a knowing eyebrow at Korekiyo.

Korekiyo just chuckled. "Kekeke, let's say I'm pretty good at imagining things."

"Urgh, this is why I didn't want to go..." Kiibo's face was flaring red as he pouted.

"Hm? What's going on here?" Kokichi came prancing inside the room. "Wow! Look at all of this food! Can I eat?"

"Oh, uh, sure!" Kaede answered.

"Yay!" Kokichi laughed cheerfully as he plopped himself down onto an open seat. "Oh, is Kee-boy not eating— oh yeah, I totally forgot! You're a robot, so you can't eat!"

"D-Don't rub it in, please," Kiibo looked like he was going to cry as his voice trembled.

"Don't worry! I'll bring you a broken TV later," Kokichi chuckled, flashing a thumbs up.

Kiibo merely sweatdropped. "Uh, I don't think I can eat a TV..."

"Nah, I'll give you better stuff, so come with me to my room and then we can—" Miu started.

"NO," Kiibo refuted, shaking himself out of Miu's grip.

It didn't take long for the smell of food to lure everyone to the dining hall. Before everyone knew it, twelve of them were eating breakfast together, laughing and talking all over each other, as if they were having a blast.

Three of the surviving students were still nowhere to be seen, but nobody decided to bring them up. Instead, they focused on the conversations and connections that they were making with each other...

Until he broke the ice.

"Hey, where's Maki-roll?" Kaito asked, making everyone blink.

"Now that you mention it, Maki isn't here yet," Tenko frowned, eyes wandering around the room.

"Did anyone see her?" Kaede asked, slightly worried.

"Nyeh, I heard sounds coming from her room so she's definitely alive," Himiko answered.

"Oh, that's great. What about Shuichi?" Kaede asked, turning her head towards Kaito.

"He's coming later," Kaito replied with a shrug. "I checked up on him already. He's just running a bit late because he was thinking about some stuff."

"That leaves Shirayuki," Rantaro narrowed his eyes. "She didn't seem well at all after the trial."

Tenko grimaced. "There's no one who doesn't feel disturbed about yesterday's execution and trial."

"I hope she's okay," Kaede frowned. "Then again, I don't think she is."

"Just leave her alone," Miu scowled. "People deal with death in different ways, so just let her be."

"...Wow, something smart actually came out of your dirty mouth," Kokichi deadpanned.

"What the fuck did you just say?!" Miu yelled back at him.

"Kokichi, do you know if she's okay?" Ryoma turned towards Kokichi.

Kokichi jolted in his seat, spinning his head around to meet Ryoma's gaze. He raised an eyebrow, eyes narrowing. "Hm? Why are you asking me of all people?" Kokichi's usual easy smile twitched subtly as he silently shot a warning look at Ryoma. Ryoma flinched under his gaze, eyes whirling with confusion over Kokichi's sudden hostility.

"Oh please, we all know you two hang out together a lot," Miu rolled her eyes.

"Huh? Really?" Kokichi frowned, annoyance still brimming in his eyes. "I don't think I hang out with her as much as I hang out with the rest of you guys!"

"That's definitely a lie," Himiko stared at Kokichi blankly.

"Nishishi, you caught me~" Kokichi chuckled, then shrugged, looking off to the side. "I don't know. She's probably fine."

"Well, if Kokichi says so, then she's probably alright. Maybe she just slept in again or something," Kaito laughed, making a joke.

Everyone else agreed with Kaito and simply dropped the subject. Rantaro was the only one who kept frowning, staring at Kokichi. He knew that Kokichi just lied once again. Perhaps it was because he had been hanging out with Shirayuki and Kokichi the most, but he had learned to pick up on their habits and faults.

Just now, when Kokichi answered, he glanced off to the side.

Not to mention that random spark of annoyance he saw within the boy.

Putting two together, it was glaringly obvious that Shirayuki was most likely _not_ okay.

Oh, she probably wasn't okay at all, judging from Kokichi's clumsy facade.

 **~~O~~**

There were no words to describe how awful I felt when I woke up.

It was a no brainer, considering what the past few days had led up to, but it didn't lessen the pain.

Instead, it sort of felt worse.

Judging from the silence outside my door, I had probably missed breakfast once again. But really, who could blame me? I hardly had an appetite. Just thinking about what happened yesterday was enough to make me feel like hurling.

There was no way I could leave my room today and interact with others.

It simply wasn't possible.

I may look strong to the others, but I know that I'm not, deep inside.

Why would I be? I'm just a normal high school girl who loves skating. That was it.

I was no detective. Just solving all the mysteries that revolved around the first trial was more than enough to give me a long-lasting headache. And now, I have to repeat that for who knows how many times...

Because the game wasn't ending.

 _"This game will never end."_

 _"It doesn't matter whether I die or not. Because I'm **not** the true mastermind."_

I felt a wave of nausea overwhelm me as I shut my eyes tightly, pulling the blanket of my bed over my head. My heart was pounding, thundering, as I recalled her words from yesterday.

 _"Now, the only thing awaiting you is the worst kind of **despair** you'll ever feel. Mark my words, Shirayuki."_

Is this how despair feels? This feeling like you're crushed underneath a giant imaginary boulder, way too heavy for your own weight to bear...is this what she meant? Or did she mean something even _worse_?

 _"I'm not going down alone without taking all of you with me, especially you, my demise."_

Perhaps a part of me had been taking the situation too lightly. Everything felt so surreal: the killing game, the murder, the investigation, the trial, and the execution. Maybe there was a part of me that still believed everything was simply a dream — or simply a nightmare.

But it wasn't.

 _The conveyor belt came to a sudden stop. Monosuke looked up in harmony with Tsumugi. The press came crashing down. ***SPLAT***_

That was no trick. That was no CGI. There were no secret mechanisms.

She was executed.

Dead.

Never to move or breathe, ever again.

 _I was having a ludicrous amount of fun and I hoped it never ended._

Fun? How crazy must I have been to even let that kind of thought enter my head?

I let out a dry laugh, curling myself into a ball underneath the heavy covers on top of me. The darkness within the blankets comforted me, like a warm embrace. As contradictory as it sounds, the darkness was what I yearned for...

So that I wouldn't have to see or feel anything so horrifying, ever again.

 _"Instead of moping around like this, I'd prefer you return to your normal feisty self. It's not like you to be discouraged like this."_

I'm sorry, Rantaro, but you overestimate me.

 _He reached his hand inside the room through the gap between the door and placed it lightly on my head._

Whatever that was, I can't do it, Kokichi. I can't stand up again.

At least not now.

Not at this moment.

Not today.

I let loose a shaky sigh as I felt my heavy eyelids droop shut.

 **~~O~~**

"Horse A?" Shuichi mumbled with a thoughtful frown. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Kaito shrugged. "Beats me. If you don't know, then how the hell are we supposed to know?"

Shuichi blinked, sweatdropping at Kaito's words. "Uh, I'm a detective, not an almighty omniscient being."

"Hm? Did somebody call Atua?" Angie turned towards Shuichi.

Shuichi waved her off with his hand. "Oh, nothing."

"Aw, alrighty then!" Angie chuckled. "I'm surprised you managed to find the graffiti underneath all that long grass. Did you channel the divine too?"

"D-Divine?" Gonta did a double take, mouth gaping wide. "Of course not! Gonta just had help of bugs!"

"Bugs?" Shuichi's eyebrows creased as he cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What bugs? I don't recall seeing any since I've been here..."

"Well, Gonta thought so at first," he puckered his lips, biting on his own thumb. "But then Gonta see something flash by, so Gonta followed it, thinking it was bug. Gonta have eyesight of 20/0.625, so Gonta thought it was truly bug...but maybe Gonta just saw things." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Geez, then don't spout nonsense, you muscle-head," Miu rolled her eyes, looking off to the side. "Quit fussin' about some lame-ass graffiti and worry about your shitty future instead!"

"Y-yes maam!" Gonta saluted, making Kiibo sweatdrop.

"Uh, you don't have to take her words that seriously," Kiibo dryly pointed out.

"Wooooow, you spotted the bugs and found the message?" Kokichi suddenly popped into the conversation, eyes twinkling with amazement. "That's amazing! Hey, you should work for me~"

"Huh, really? You offering Gonta a spot? Okay!" Gonta cheerily agreed, nodding his head enthusiastically.

"Woah, wait. You're just going to agree that easily?" Kaede sweatdropped.

"If Gonta is needed, Gonta is always happy to help!" Gonta beamed, flashing an innocent thumbs up.

"Nishishi, Gonta is so gullible. Y'know, if you keep being this gullible..." Kokichi trailed off, as a disturbing grin filled with malice made its way up onto his face. As his features were inverted in black and white, he started to laugh. "You'll be killed before you know it, right?"

As soon as Kokichi's words left his mouth, the temperature inside the room dropped. All conversations ceased as the joyful atmosphere from before dissipated into thin air without a single trace left.

"K-Kokichi," Shuichi warned, glancing at Kokichi.

Rantaro simply sighed, shaking his head in exasperation, though he didn't comment on Kokichi's actions.

Kokichi hummed, placing his hands behind his head in a nonchalant and innocent fashion. "Hm? What's wrong? Is the k-word banned now?"

"Tch," Tenko clicked her tongue, glaring at Kokichi. "This is why I hate degenerate males. They're so insensitive and about considerate as amoebas!"

"S-Sorry, I didn't know," Kokichi faked an apologetic look before it was replaced by a mischievous grin. "But that's not very reasonable, is it? The killing game is still ongoing, after all!"

"Damn it, you just had to open your mouth," Kaito gritted his teeth in anger.

"Even if it's a joke, you shouldn't be talking like that," Kaede crossed her arms, shooting a glare at Kokichi's direction. "This isn't the time or place to be talking about that, alright?"

"...It's that kind of talk that lets Monokuma play you all like fiddles," Kokichi sighed and muttered to himself.

"What did you say?" Shuichi questioned.

"Oh, did you hear me? It's nothing! I was talking to myself, nishishi," Kokichi brushed him off.

"Oh wow, what an interesting conversation! Looks like you guys are having a great time! Let me join in too~" out of nowhere, Monokuma's voice entered the room. From the ceiling, Monokuma slowly dropped down onto the ground in front of Kokichi.

"Hey there, Monokuma! They're all having fun ganging up on me," Kokichi explained with a shrug as if the fact did not bother him one tiny bit.

"Why are you even here?" Ryoma stared at Monokuma from a distance with hostility in his eyes.

"I came to give you guys your prizes for surviving the class trial!" Monokuma reached into his pockets and pulled out some objects. "Here you go!" He dumped them unceremoniously into Shuichi's hands.

"Gah!" Shuichi stumbled at the sudden weight, clutching the items tightly to his chest to prevent them from falling. "What the heck is all of this...?"

"Who knows? It's up to you guys to use them as you see fit!" Monokuma let loose his signature laugh before he disappeared into thin air once again, leaving the rest of the students to ponder over the mysterious objects.

"Is this an ocarina? Where are we supposed to use this?" Angie puffed up her cheeks in annoyance.

"I think we're supposed to be using them on the campus," Tenko suggested.

"And what is supposed to happen after we do?" Ryoma raised an eyebrow.

Tenko shrugged in reply. "I don't know, but standing here isn't going to do anything so we might as well try."

"Alrighty then! Leave it to me!" Kokichi attempted to swipe the objects out of Shuichi's hands, only to be blocked by Kaito who reached a hand out between them. "Hey, what gives?"

"We're not leaving these items to you of all people," Kaito rolled his eyes. "Shuichi will take care of them."

"Uh, what?" Shuichi blinked.

"Well, you're the Ultimate Detective, right? You should be good at puzzles," Kaito flashed him a thumbs up. "So I'm going to leave it all to you!"

"...You have no idea how to use them, which is why you're leaving it all to Shuichi, right?" Kokichi deadpanned.

Kaito brushed him off. "Shush, that's not important."

"Why don't we separate into groups then?" Rantaro suggested. "We can explore the place faster if we do so. Once something catches our eyes, we can report it to Shuchi and he'll use the items."

"What, you were here?" Miu cackled. "I didn't even know you were!"

"Damn, you have so little presence, man," Kaito frowned. "It's like you're dead!"

Rantaro sweatdropped, laughing sheepishly. "Please don't kill me off just yet."

"His plan sounds good though," Kaede nodded, a smile on her face. "Let's break up into four different groups then!"

"What about Maki and Shirayuki? They're still not here," Korekiyo pointed out.

"Oh, well..." Kaede trailed off, a thoughtful look on her face. "We can just tell them about our findings later. For now, let's prioritize the objects!"

 **~~O~~**

"I know we said we were going to break up into groups, but someone, please tell me. Exactly why the _fuck_ am I with you guys of all people?" Ryoma eyed the rest of the group with disdain, face contorted into a pained and strained expression.

"Nyahahaha! Why? Is there something wrong with us?" Angie laughed out loud, prancing inside the room. "Wow, is this Himiko's Ultimate Lab?"

"Nyeh, don't touch anything or you'll get cursed," Himiko drawled, taking a quick look around the room. "I sense magic all over this room. You might get turned into a bullfrog if you make any careless actions."

"Kehehe, why this room simply intrigues me," Korekiyo's eyes were twinkling as he gazed over the room with excitement and curiosity. "Pray tell me, what exactly is that cauldron-like object in the back of the room?"

Korekiyo pointed towards a large golden cauldron in the back of the room. There were two torch lights on the wall behind it and the cauldron was being heated up by a smoldering fire. The steam that rose up from the cauldron had a purplish gleam to it.

"Hm, that's for recharging mana," Himiko explained as she dragged her feet towards the cauldron, peering at its contents. "The darker the color, the more mana you get after consuming it."

"Consuming? So, you are supposed to drink this mixture?" Korekiyo placed a hand over his mask in surprise.

"Of course, that's how mages gain back their stamina," Himiko continued to speak as if her words were nothing out of the ordinary.

"Wow, these blades are real!" Angie skipped towards the opposite end of the room and grabbed one of the swords, swinging it around her. "These could easily kill someone!"

"If you know that, then stop swinging it around like a toy," Himiko reprimanded her. "Besides, that sword is haunted by the spirit of the banshee. If you keep on holding it, you'll be hearing endless cries in the middle of your sleep tonight."

"Alrighty then!" Angie immediately slammed the sword back into its place inside the magic box.

"The spirit of the banshee?" Korekiyo hummed, a thoughtful look on his face. "The banshee, a female spirit who heralds the death of a family member, usually by wailing, shrieking, or keening. You say this sword has been possessed by one? I would like to converse to this spirit of yours..."

Ryoma groaned, slumping down to the floor on his knees as he slammed his head onto the floor in frustration. "I'm stuck with God's messenger, a hoax of a magician, and a creepy piece of shit who loves to talk to the dead. **Great. Just great**."

 **~~O~~**

"Ew, what the fuck is this?!" Miu jerked her head back and spun around, facing the exit instead. She clutched her throat and gagged, coughing violently. "Y-You've got to be kidding me."

"W-Woah, this is quite the collection," Kiibo exclaimed with a gulp as he carefully made his way inside the room.

"Ah! Gonta see grasshopper, cricket, and cockroaches too!" Gonta clasped his hands together, eyes beaming with joy as he sprinted around the room, swooning over the different showcases.

"That's so fucking disgusting," Miu spatted from her spot outside the room. "I'm not taking a single step in this filthy place. Tell me when you guys are done." She rolled her eyes and sighed, much to Gonta's dismay.

"...Filthy? Did you just call insect...filthy?" Gonta's demeanor immediately changed as the tension in the air sent sparks flying between him and Miu.

"Huh? Did you not hear me? The insects are fucking disgustin—" Before Miu got to finish her insult, Kiibo hurriedly ran towards her and slammed his hand over her mouth, silencing her.

"Shhh! Don't say that to Gonta or he'll really kill you," Kiibo harshly whispered.

"The fuck? Why should I care about that? He's not going to kill me over some fuckin' bug—" Miu started, only to stop short when she spotted Gonta behind Kiibo, who was now flaring a vibrant red aura that spelled danger in every way possible.

"Bugs...are...not...disgusting!" Gonta muttered as he took a few steps closer towards her.

Miu gulped, swatting Kiibo's hand away from her mouth. "I-It's disgusting that you have so much obsession over these, uh, insects! Yeah! It's just interesting that you love them so much!"

"Oh! So that's what you mean!" the devilish aura that surrounded Gonta dissipated into thin air. Gonta grinned widely. "I thought you hated bugs! Gonta is glad Gonta misunderstood!"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Miu laughed dryly as Kiibo wiped his forehead in anxiety.

"That was way too close of a call for comfort..." Kiibo sighed.

 **~~O~~**

"This pool is huge!" Kaede gaped as she stared in awe.

"As much as I hate this place, I have to say, the facilities here are top-notch!" Tenko crossed her arms and nodded in satisfaction. "Who would've thought they'd build such a large pool like this behind the gym?"

"I must say, I'm quite pleasantly surprised," Rantaro absentmindedly placed his hand onto one of the chairs. He gently rubbed the fabric of the cushions, gaping. "I think this is high-quality sequin."

"Wait, what? Sequin cushions at the pool? What is this, a five-star resort?!" Kaede gasped, rushing over towards Rantaro's side.

While Kaede and Rantaro were gushing over the chairs, Tenko stepped closer towards the pool and looked down. "Hey, wait a minute!" Tenko frowned. "The pool hardly has enough water in here."

"Maybe they just don't want us to drown in here," Kaede shrugged.

"But wouldn't drowning be the perfect way to kill someone? I highly doubt Monokuma would turn away from such an enticing option to make the game more interesting," Rantaro found himself speaking out his thoughts.

"...Did you really have to ruin the mood like that?" Tenko scoffed, rolling her eyes. "This is why I hate degenerate males..."

Rantaro sweatdropped, laughing sheepishly. "Haha...I didn't mean to dampen the mood like that. My apologies."

"Nah, it's fine," Kaede waved him off with her hands. "We know you didn't mean any harm."

Tenko headed over towards the right side of the pool, while Kaede searched the left. Rantaro glanced up towards the ceiling as he explored the area. "I see. This pool is connected to the gym," Rantaro pointed out as he eyed the windows on the left.

"There's some room up there on the right too," Tenko added, pointing up towards the opposite side of the room.

"Maybe there's another building connected to this pool, other than the gym...?" Rantaro suggested. "I think we should go explore the other areas inside the school building too."

"Wait a minute, guys! Come check this out here," Kaede suddenly spoke up. Rantaro and Tenko rushed over towards her side. In front of them was a large bulletin board. A piece of paper was stuck onto the board. "I think Monokuma wrote some rules regarding this place."

"Hm, let's see..." Tenko swiftly skimmed through the writing, muttering out the rules. "Do not die from slipping. Do not die from a leg cramp. Do not die from choking on your food...?"

Rantaro sweatdropped, laughing dryly as he shook his head in exasperation. "I see he really doesn't want an accidental murder occurring here."

"Hey, what about this rule?" Kaede traced her finger on the words. "Swimming is prohibited at nighttime. This sounds important."

"But why can't we swim at night?" Tenko asked.

As if on cue, the monokubs came barging into the room. Kaede yelped as Tenko screamed. Rantaro simply turned around to face them, calm and unfazed. "Were you listening to us?" he asked with a silent glare.

"Of course! We can hear anything and everything that goes on in this academy!" Monotaro guffawed as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Anyways, you can't swim during nighttime! It'll be bad if someone has an accident when no one is watching..." Monophanie clarified.

"Oh, but you ducks can visit the pool during nighttime. You just can't be a dick about it and step in the water," Monokid played his guitar loudly as he spoke. "If even a hair on your leg touches the water, the exisals will come in and punish you, so be careful!"

"S-T-A-Y S-A-F-E," Monodam muttered in a robotic voice before the monokubs rushed out of the pool.

"...They're quite the busy ones, aren't they?" Kaede sighed.

"Yeah, no doubt about that," Tenko followed suit, rubbing her forehead in annoyance.

"Well, I guess that's it..." Rantaro glanced towards the right side of the room. "Did anyone check the storage room, yet?"

"Oh yeah," Tenko spun her head around to look at the storage room. "I took a brief look inside and there were just a bunch of pool supplies there."

"What, like floating tubes and kickboards?" Kaede asked.

Tenko nodded. "There were even water polo balls. I guess it's there in case any of us want to play water polo with the others."

"Regardless, I think we're done here," Rantaro announced. "I guess we should go back inside the school building and explore somewhere else?"

The girls nodded in response as they all walked out of the building.

 **~~O~~**

"Hey, so have you gone to space yet?"

"No, I haven't, but I will be soon enough!"

"How soon? You mean right now? Right this moment? Right this minute, this second, this millisecond, this nanosecond—"

"Oh shut up already! Of course not! How can I go to space when I'm stuck here with all of you guys?"

"Oh, but you do want to hurry up and get out of here, right?"

"Well duh, who doesn't?"

"Then just kill someone! Then you can leave here~"

"Wha— YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME."

"Why? Are you not confident enough in your...murdering skills? I can help you create a reaaaaaally nice mystery that even Shuichi can't solve!"

"Yeah right, and then you'll just rat me out during the class trial anyways. Remember? Two people can't escape here. Only the blackened can."

"Wow, you actually remembered that rule? Man, I thought you were worse than that."

"HUH? What the hell do you think I am, a potato?!"

"Yeah, sort of. You seem kind of bland and dull."

"WHY YOU BRAT—"

"Wow, this tea is quite excellent."

Kaito and Kokichi halted their conversation and spun their head around to look at Shuichi. They were currently inside Kirumi's lab and Shuichi had taken a seat directly in the middle of the dining table. He sat there in a nonchalant manner, sipping a cup of tea as he breathed out a heavenly sigh.

"I must say, the tea collection here is great," Shuichi continued to mutter in a thoughtful manner.

Kaito sweatdropped. "Uh, Shuichi? Are you just going to ignore us here—"

"Are those porcelain plates? They look quite vintage," Shuichi suddenly bolted out of his seat, placing his teacup down on the table. He ran over towards the showcase and peered down at all the plates, eying them with curiosity. "I wonder how expensive these are...?"

Kaito stared confusedly at Shuichi. "He's seriously ignoring us, isn't he?"

Kokichi just started to laugh uncontrollably. He doubled down onto the ground in a laughing fit, tears prickling his eyes. "I-I think the Sherlock DNA just awoke inside of Shuichi. M-Man, this is hilarious! Who knew Shuichi was such a sucker for the Victorian era?!"

As Kokichi continued to howl in laughter, Shuichi walked all over the room, eyes shining brightly.

Kaito simply sighed. "Well, I guess this is better than the moping Shuichi..."

 **~~O~~**

"These prizes are fucking dumb," Miu scowled as she looked through the showcase on the top floor. "What the hell is this even, a key? Is that supposed to help us escape from this place or something?"

"Uh, I don't think so..." Kiibo disagreed. "It looks like this place was simply made for our entertainment."

"Gonta no understand," Gonta frowned and tilted his head to the side. "Why these machines so bright and colorful? What do they do?"

"Well duh, it's a casino," Miu rolled her eyes. "Of course it's fucking lit. Literally lit."

After leaving Gonta's lab, the three made their way beyond the large wooden gates in the garden and entered the leftmost building. The casino consisted of two main floors: the top being the prize storage and the bottom being the game consoles. The casino operated on a currency called Monokuma coins. For a certain amount of coins, one could receive a variety of prizes, though they were mainly useless.

"Well, at least we won't get so bored here," Kiibo optimistically pointed out with a smile. "We can have gamble nights here."

"Huh, I didn't think you'd know what gambling was," Miu raised an eyebrow. "Why'd the professor program such useless knowledge like gambling inside of you?"

"Uh, he wanted me to be similar to a real human being and apparently, gambling is an important essence of being human," Kiibo explained.

"I call bullshit," Miu deadpanned. "Who the fuck said gambling was a part of being human? You sure your professor wasn't a gambling addict?"

"Hm, I'm not sure," Kiibo crossed his arms and scrunched his eyebrows up. "He did like to watch horse videos though."

"Horse...videos?" Miu eyed him with skepticism. "Don't tell me, the ones where the horses race in tracks?"

"Ah, yes!" Kiibo nodded his head. "I remember seeing those very often."

Miu sweatdropped. "...Right. What a wonderful professor."

"Miu, Gonta no understand this next building," Gonta came barging into the conversation, looking confused. "Gonta just went over to check the other building, but the door was locked."

Miu sighed as she turned to face Gonta. Although she didn't mind being in this particular group at first, she was starting to feel irritated at their lack of common knowledge. At times, she felt like a babysitter, except she was taking care of a humanoid robot and a giant Tarzan.

"The door was locked?" Miu clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Well, why the fuck didn't you break the door open? You have superhuman strength, don't you?"

Gonta gasped, clutching his chest. "N-No! Gonta can never do anything so ungentlemanly! Besides, it wasn't time yet so the door couldn't be opened!"

"Time? What time?" Miu asked.

"Well, in front of the door, numbers were written!" Gonta exclaimed. "Gonta thinks it was the price!"

"Prices? What for?" Kiibo questioned.

"Uh, let's see...Gonta wrote it down so Gonta won't forget," Gonta whipped out a small notebook from his bag and quickly flipped through the pages. "Uh, it says 25 monokuma coins for a short rest. 2 guests 2 hours until 12:00 pm. Overnight is 45 monokuma coins. You can choose from two options: 9:00pm to 11:00 am or after 3:00 am till 2:00 pm next day."

"Huh? That sounds like a hotel," Kiibo pointed out. "What's the name of the building?"

"Oh, it was Animal Hotel Kumasutra," Gonta read out.

"But why are the times so late?" Kiibo frowned. "Don't hotels usually check in around noon or so?"

"Well, not _this_ kind of hotel," Miu spoke up, making the two turn their attention towards her.

"What do you mean?" Kiibo asked.

Miu shot them a sly smirk before she walked over towards them, slinging her arms around their shoulders. Kiibo and Gonta yelped as she yanked them towards the corner of the casino, next to a wall. Then, she started to whisper in a harsh and low voice.

"You see, there's this thing called a love hotel..."

Needless to say, Kiibo and Gonta never set their feet beyond the gate ever again.

 **~~O~~**

"Uh, so why can't we go in here?" Shuichi repeated again.

"Do I need to give you a reason?" Maki glared at Shuichi.

"Oh come on, we just want to take a teeny-weeny peek inside of your lab!" Kokichi whined as he attempted to make his way past Maki.

Maki quickly shot her arm out, blocking his path. Refusing to budge even a step, Maki scowled. "I haven't given you permission yet."

"Man, what the hell are you, a Minotaur?" Kokichi complained with a pout. "It's not like you have a labyrinth inside your lab, right?"

Maki simply closed her eyes. "That is none of your business."

"Geez, why are you so unfriendly, Maki-roll?" Kaito rubbed the back of his head with a frown.

"Maki...roll...?" Maki openly grimaced and gagged at the nickname. "What a lame nickname. Don't call me that or I'll snap you into two."

"WHA— That was uncalled for!" Kaito growled, pointing a finger at Maki.

Maki rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade."

"Why you—" Kaito took a step forward in frustration.

Shuichi immediately latched himself onto Kaito's arm, pulling him back. "C-Calm down, Kaito! It's okay. We won't go in here."

"Whaaaat? Are you sure?" Kokichi had a sly smirk on his face. "The only reason why someone won't let anybody into their room is because they have something to hide, don't you think?"

Maki didn't answer. She only closed her eyes and leaned her back against the door to her Ultimate Lab.

Shuichi sighed. This was already proving to be a long and tiring day. All Shuichi wanted was to go back into Kirumi's lab and fix himself another cup of tea, though it seemed like fate had different plans for him.

Angie came strolling down the hallway with a bright grin on her face. "Heeeeey! Shuichi! Come meet us at the gym!"

"The gym?" Kaito turned his attention away from Maki. "Why there?"

"Everyone else is done with their exploration and we discovered something important, so we're going to gather everyone there!" Angie yelled while waving her hands back and forth. "See you all there later!"

Then, she disappeared down the stairs.

Shuichi, Kaito, Kokichi, and Maki shared a look and simultaneously sighed.

Yep. What a long day this was proving to be.

 **~~O~~**

"A flashback light?" Korekiyo uttered with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep! Though it doesn't shed light on the darkness or anything like that. It sheds light on your lost memories!" Monokuma explained.

"Lost memories? Don't tell me..." Ryoma started as he stared at Monokuma with hostility and suspicion.

"You guys seemed to be concerned that you couldn't remember how you came to this school," Monokuma snickered as he covered his mouth with his hands. "But if you use that flashback light, you can remember everything! Well, at least, a few things!"

"What...? With this light?" Shuichi frowned as he examined the flashlight more carefully.

"So it's your fault we don't remember anything?!" Kaito yelled, glaring at Monokuma with distaste and anger.

"What did you do to us and how did you steal our memories?" Kaede asked while clenching her fists in restrained fury.

"This is stupid. There's no way a flashlight can recover our memories," Maki rolled her eyes.

"Well, it's up to you guys to believe me or not. Anyways, that's it for my explanation!" Monokuma guffawed, letting loose a sinister laugh before he disappeared into thin air, leaving us to ponder over the new object in our hands.

"So...what now?" Kiibo glanced over towards the flashlight in Shuichi's hands. "Should we...use it?"

"No way," Tenko rapidly shook her head. "It reeks of fishiness!"

"Yeah! Gonta no can believe flashlight can bring back memory!" Gonta nodded in agreement.

"Well, why don't we ask someone who knows about machines? We do have the Ultimate Inventor here," Ryoma gestured towards Miu.

Miu scoffed. "You're all a bunch of ultimate dumbasses. There's no fucking way that stupid little thing can treat amnesia. You don't even need me to know that," Miu sighed. "But then again, this isn't the normal circumstance..."

"Kehehe, in such an uncanny environment such as this, common sense has no place," Korekiyo chuckled. "Who knows? Perhaps that thing will really cure our amnesia."

"I don't think we should do it. I'm scared it might cause some weird side effects," Kokichi's eyes were watering up again as he shivered in fear, though it was most likely another act of his.

"What if it affects my magic...?" Himiko drawled.

"It might be Monokuma's trap," Rantaro narrowed his eyes. "I think it would be dangerous to use it."

"Yeah, I don't think we should use it either," Kaede frowned. "It seems kind of far-stretched that this flashlight could return our lost memories."

"What do you think, Shuichi?" Angie turned towards Shuichi. "You're the only one left who didn't give their opinion yet."

"Well," Shuichi paused for a moment as he stared at the flashlight in his hands. "I think that we shouldn't use it ye—"

"Alright, let's just use that thing and get it over with!" Kaito suddenly announced with a grin as he pounded his fists together.

"Uh what? Since when was that the general consent?" Kiibo sweatdropped.

"Geez, you guys are way too cautious," Kaito rolled his eyes. "I mean, I understand why, with us all in such a bizarre situation like this...but we can't win if we keep on running away like this." Kaito shrugged. "If you want to win, you've gotta be reckless sometimes!"

"Wow, I can't believe I'm agreeing with this simpleton for once," Kokichi bluntly stated.

"What was that?! I thought you said you were scared of the side effects!" Kaito glared at him.

"Nishishi, of course, that was a lie~" Kokichi chimed in, humming a cheery tune. "Let's just use it~ it seems fun!"

"Ignoring this little brat here, if we can't face this danger, there's no way we'll defeat Monokuma in the end!" Kaito declared.

"Kehehe, why, aren't you the confident one? But you have no idea _how_ we're going to defeat him yet, right?" Korekiyo shook his head as he laughed. "Being too simple-minded isn't that good for you, Kaito."

"Oh shut it," Kaito scoffed. "If you want to win, you gotta make a stand somewhere. You can't win if you don't at least take a step forward."

"I feel like I've heard such words before many times..." Tenko sweatdropped. "I think from a bunch of anime I watched when I was a kid.

"Nishishi, that speaks miles about his intelligence!" Kokichi snickered. Kaito's eyes twitched as he reached his arm out to grab Kokichi's head. He squeezed hard, making Kokichi yelp. "Ow ow ow ow ow, stop, it hurts!"

"Serves you right, you little twerp," Kaito released his grip on Kokichi's head. "If you guys still want to run away, then go ahead. I won't stop you. But I'll be using that flashlight there."

"Okaaaaay, let's just go the— uh, guys? Why aren't you guys moving?" Kokichi rubbed the top of his head in pain, while his eyes shown in realization. "I thought you were all too scared to use the flashlight?"

"Grrr, listening to that degenerate male now makes it even harder for me to run away. Let's just use it and get it over with!" Tenko suddenly declared as she positioned herself into an aikido stance. "I'll beat the crap out of Monokuma!"

"I also agree with Kaito. Our defeat is 100% assured unless we stand up to this," Kiibo nodded in agreement. "That's...how I feel deep inside. Just a whisper—"

"You hear it in your ghost? I'm pretty sure robots don't have ghosts, though," Kokichi taunted.

Kiibo pouted. "That's...not funny..."

"I guess I shall stay as well," Korekiyo suddenly changed his mind. "It seems I'll be able to witness something interesting, after all."

"Hm, well if everyone says so, then Gonta will stay too!" Gonta gave a reassuring smile. "With everyone together, we can beat anything!"

"I guess we'll stay too then," Rantaro and Kaede nodded, turning towards Shuichi with a smile.

Shuichi turned towards them and nodded. "Alright. I understand the general consensus. However, I do think we should wait until tomorrow before we use this flashlight."

"Huh? Why tomorrow?" Kaito blinked.

"Oh? Is our little Shuichi-poo peeing in his pants from fear? AHAHAHAHA!" Miu cackled, spraying her spit everywhere.

Shuichi grimaced as he quickly shook his head. "N-No, that's not it. It's just...not all of us are here, yet."

"Ah!" Kaede suddenly remembered. "Shirayuki isn't here yet."

"Now that you mention it, I completely forgot she wasn't feeling well today," Tenko frowned.

"I see," Rantaro hummed in understanding. "We don't know yet how many times that flashlight can be used, so we might as well wait until we're all ready."

Shuichi nodded. "Right. That's why we should use it tomorrow after breakfast. For now, I think we deserve some rest after a long day of exploring. Let's leave the flashback light for tomorrow."

"But what if Shirayuki also doesn't show up tomorrow...?" Kaede frowned.

"Ah, that's true..." Shuichi sighed. "I hope she's feeling okay."

"Why don't we check up on her?" Korekiyo suggested. "Perhaps she's really sick in bed and can't move an inch."

"Hell no! Not you degenerate male!" Tenko protested, shooting Korekiyo a glare. "I won't let a single one of you degenerates step inside her room!"

Korekiyo simply shrugged. "I was just offering to do so, but I guess someone else can do that."

"...Kokichi, would you check up on her for us?" Rantaro suddenly spoke up, making Kokichi jolt in surprise.

"H-Huh? Me?" Kokichi stammered uncharacteristically. "Why me?"

Rantaro raised a knowing eyebrow. "Do you even need to ask?"

Kokichi stared back at Rantaro, a somewhat annoyed expression on his face. "No, but why would you know that...?"

"I heard some sounds entering through my door last night. I figured something happened," Rantaro sighed. "Anyways, would you mind checking up on her?"

Kokichi clicked his tongue once before he replaced his annoyed expression with his usual cheery facade. "Awwww, that's such a pain in the butt, but I guess if our guacamole says so, I'll do it, nishishi!"

Rantaro felt his eyes twitch at Kokichi's small revenge. The rest of the students just eyed them with confusion.

"Uh, so Kokichi will go check up on her, right?" Kaede asked for clarification.

Kokichi nodded. "Mhm! Leave it up to me! I'll get her out of bed soon enough," Kokichi grinned.

Tenko eyed him with suspicion. "And how on earth are you going to do that...? What if she doesn't open the door when you knock?"

Kokichi simply flashed Tenko a smirk. "Oh, that door won't be an issue at all," Kokichi waggled his eyebrows with a snort.

"...I don't like how you phrased that," Shuichi sweatdropped.

"Nishishi, don't worry! I won't kill her," Kokichi grinned. "It'd be to obvious if she ended up dying with me being the last person to see her!"

"H-Hey, don't talk about something so ominous like that!" Kaito frowned.

"Yeah yeah, whatever, old man," Kokichi brushed him off. "Anyways, I'll be off now!"

"Wait," Miu suddenly spoke up, making Kokichi halt in his step.

Kokichi turned around and raised an eyebrow. "What's up, Miu?"

"If you can get her out tonight, meet me up at the casino," Miu ordered.

"The casino?" Rantaro raised his eyebrow. "Why there?"

"Don't tell me..." Kiibo sweatdropped.

Miu simply grinned. "Well, there's only _one_ thing you can do at the casino..."


	15. Chapter 14: Gambling Night

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews and new favs and follows! Next update will probably be in 2-3 weeks because of my exams.

* * *

 **[Chapter 14: Gambling Night]**

"Shiro-chan, are you in there?"

I groaned, rolling myself around on the bed as I pulled the covers up higher. Squeezing my eyes shut tight, I ignored the knocking on my door and attempted to fall asleep. Unfortunately, the person behind the door was persistent and continued to knock for ten minutes straight.

Refusing to give in, I pretended to be asleep, hoping that they would eventually leave.

For a moment, the knocking sounds stopped...

And then, the sound of metal clicking against something filled the air.

 _*click* *cling* *clang* *click* ***CLICK***_

The sound of my door creaking open made me lift my head up in a frenzy. My jaw hung out as I openly gaped at the intruder. Kokichi stepped inside the room — the usual mischievous and childish smile hanging on his face. He spotted me sitting up on my bed and widened his smile into a grin.

"There you are! I knew you were awake! Let's go, Shiro-chan," Kokichi took large strides across the room and unceremoniously leaped on top of my bed, beaming at me. "Everyone's waiting!"

"Kokichi, I don't— no wait, what the—" I found myself babbling incoherently as I pointed a shaking finger at Kokichi, eyes quivering in disbelief.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Kokichi simply continued to smile, cocking his head to the side in an innocent manner as if there was nothing wrong.

"What's wrong? Are you _fucking_ kidding me?! I don't even know where to begin," I faltered, rubbing my forehead with my index finger as a headache crept its way up. "Why the hell are you here? More importantly, how the frick did you get inside my room?!"

"I used my handy dandy lock-picking skills," Kokichi wiggled his fingers, face devoid of emotion.

I facepalmed. "Oh right, you just lock picked my door. That's totally normal— IN YOUR DREAMS, WHAT THE HELL, KOKICHI? LOCK-PICKING? WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU, A THIEF?"

Kokichi rolled his eyes. "Oh please, I'm not a thief. I'm the leader of a huge secret organization!"

"What's the name of the organization, then?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

He shrugged. "Dunno. I forgot."

"Wow, way to be convincing," I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"Nishishi, it's true though~" Kokichi snickered. "But I guess I don't blame you for doubting me. Everyone always does."

"And you just bring it on yourself," I sighed. "Okay, but forget about that for a bit. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get you out of bed!" Kokichi announced and without another warning, he grabbed the edges of my blanket and yanked it off my body.

I yelped, feeling the sudden wave of cold air. I shivered, crossing my arms together and shot him a glare. "Well, unfortunately for you, I'm not budging an inch off of this bed."

Kokichi raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You haven't eaten anything yet, right?" Then, he dug inside the back pocket of his pants. "Uh, where is it...oh, here it is! Have an apple, at least."

I eyed the apple in his hand dubiously. Then I stared blankly at him. "You didn't poison this, right?"

Kokichi scoffed, glancing up to the ceiling in annoyance. "Oh please, Shiro-chan. If I were going to murder you, I'd definitely make it more interesting. This isn't Snow White, you know."

"Right, I guess thanks," I reached over and plucked the apple off his hands. I brought it up to my mouth and took a huge bite. "So, let me ask again. Why are you here?" I spoke in between mouthfuls, savoring the sweet aftertaste of the fruit.

"Well, you've been sleeping the whole day, right? We explored the new areas that opened on campus, so I figured you would want to know about them too," Kokichi said as he glanced around the room. "Man, this room is dreary," Kokichi grimaced, eying the empty desk and the chairs.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I only sleep here. I don't spend my time in my room much," I retorted, chewing through the last bits of the apple. "You could have waited until tomorrow to tell me about your findings, you know?"

"Hm, true, but you wouldn't have left the room tomorrow anyway, right?" Kokichi's accusation was spot-on as it made me flinch. He shifted his position on top of my bed and sat crossed leg next to me. I slid over, making room for him. "If I didn't come to pick you up, you would probably just rot yourself to death in here."

"I'm not that stupid, Kokichi," I grumbled, fiddling with the apple core in my hands. There was a part of me that wanted to chase him out, but I knew him well enough to know that it would only be a futile attempt. "I won't starve to death. I'll go eat when I want to," I spat out a retort, annoyance seeping into the tone of my voice.

Kokichi seemed to notice the obvious irritation I was feeling, and yet feigned ignorance to it. "It's already 11:00 pm and you haven't eaten a single meal yet since yesterday," Kokichi deadpanned, continuing his scolding. "At this rate, you might as well become a skeleton."

"People don't die if they starve for a day, Kokichi," stated with a click of my tongue.

"Yeah yeah, I know, but you have to feed yourself properly," Kokichi jabbed a finger into my stomach. "See, you're becoming thinner."

I swatted his finger away from my stomach and shot him a furious glared. "What are you, my mother?"

Kokichi made a sour expression as his lips contorted into a mixture of disgust and barely concealed hurt. "Ewwwwww that was such a bad joke, Shiro-chan. I think I'm going to hurl," he grabbed his throat and made a gagging motion, though it was obviously just a harmless act.

"You called me mother first, you know?" I reminded him of our first meeting in the classroom.

Kokichi blinked rapidly in succession before he hummed in agreement. "Good point."

I groaned, lifting one of my hands up to cover my face. "Okay, so I promise I'll go to eat breakfast tomorrow. Can you leave now? I want to sleep," I begged, voicing out my exhaustion.

"Are you kidding me?" Kokichi sighed. "You've been sleeping the entireeeee day now," he made a circling motion with his index finger to emphasize his point.

"I know, but still, Kokichi. Just...just leave me alone for today," I exhaled deeply and flopped my back onto the bed. "Just for today. I swear I'll go eat breakfast tomorrow. Please leave."

"Nope, no can do," Kokichi plopped himself right beside me, rolling over on my bed. He laid there on his side, facing me. "I'm supposed to be bringing you out somewhere right now."

"It's 11:00 pm, Kokichi. It's already past nighttime. Where the heck are you going to bring me to? A warehouse so that you can kill me?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I stared up at the ceiling.

"...Are you okay?" Kokichi suddenly asked, making my heart skip a beat.

My fears were proven to be true. He was here to talk about the events that transpired last night. I wasn't ready to face him yet — not after that display of embarrassment and vulnerability. There was nothing to explain to him, even if he asked. It was just a moment of...weakness — a fear that had been lurking inside the depths of my heart since the first moment I woke up in that locker.

It was just a fear that I had pushed away into the deepest corners of my mind, only to have it broken by Tsumugi's last words.

I turned my head around to face him, resigning myself to fate. "What do you think?" It was clear from the low tone of my voice, close to a whisper, that this wasn't a topic that I wanted to touch upon.

Kokichi chuckled, the same old grin on his face. "Nishishi, I guess I don't even need to ask."

"Right, if you know, then shut up and leave me alone," I replied, turning my head back up to face the ceiling.

"Do you think your troubles will disappear if I leave you alone?" Kokichi shot back a remark.

"No, but what can I do? It's the only way I know how to get better," I snapped back in a desperate-sounding voice and immediately regretted the annoyance as an answer because I knew exactly why he had bothered to come after me, giving me comfort.

I thought back to that night a few days ago, where I talked with Kokichi inside his room after he asked me about my opinion on the other students.

He was simply returning the favor.

"Well, lucky for you, I'm here to carry half the burden!" Kokichi suddenly declared, the usual vibrant smile on his face.

I whirled my head back towards him, eyes widened. "...W-What?"

 _Did I hear it wrong?_

"As I said, I'm here to listen! Sooooo just blurt out everything that you want to say," Kokichi grinned mischievously, though his eyes shone underneath the dim lights of the room with brilliance and understanding. "You've been the one bugging me for a while, so this time, I think it's my turn to be your counselor~"

I found the corner of my mouth tugging up into a small smile against my own will. "Counselor? You? Of all people, Kokichi..."

"Better than no one," Kokichi snickered. "So, are you going to say something?"

"...I'm just tired, that's all." The words flew out of my mouth much more comfortably than I thought they ever would.

"Of what?" He patiently waited for an answer as he fiddled with the bed sheets underneath him.

"Of...everything," I sighed, eyes blank as I absentmindedly started to count the different tiles on the ceiling. "I was so sure that everything would have ended after the trial. But then Tsumugi said the game wasn't ending. That it was never going to end. And all of a sudden, it just hit me."

"What did?" Kokichi mumbled a question.

"Everything, I guess. Everything that had happened so far. Maybe a part of me still thought it was all just a game. But after seeing Tsumugi's...death like that, it just hit me that this wasn't some cheap video game about killing. It was real," I gulped as I tried to push the scarring image out of my mind.

"And?" Kokichi spoke, signaling that he was still listening.

"I...freaked out," I softly whispered. "All the stress just came crashing down and all of a sudden, I couldn't handle it anymore."

"You can," Kokichi's words sounded much more confident that I thought they would be. "You've been handling it very well so far."

"I'm not as strong as you think I am," I confessed, shaking my head lightly as I felt my vision start to blur from the tears that were collecting in my eyes. "I can't bounce back as soon as you can. I'm not like you, who can easily push aside his true feelings. I can't...lie to myself or my own feelings."

"Then don't," Kokichi spoke out the words as soon as I finished my sentence. He lifted himself up into a sitting position, hands on both sides of him. He peered down at me from above. "Don't be like me. You know what I'm like. And let me assure you this: you _don't_ want to become like me."

I found myself letting out a dry laugh as I lifted my hands up to wipe away the tears that were falling again. "I thought you didn't know what you were like?" I returned his serious remark with a teasing question.

"I don't," Kokichi shrugged. "But I know how it _feels_ to be what I am now."

"Right, I guess you do," I sighed as I covered my eyes with my hands.

I laid there still for a moment. Kokichi just silently sat next to me. The only sound inside the room was the hushed whispers of our breathing. I indulged myself with the comforts of his presence, letting loose another breathy sigh.

I took in another deep breath. "Do you think I'll be okay?" A rhetorical question left my lips.

"You have to be," Kokichi replied almost immediately, as if he were waiting all along. "This will definitely repeat itself, again and again."

"Wow, way to be ominous," I rolled my eyes, feeling the tears dry up.

"It's the truth though," Kokichi pointed out. His expression became less stoic as he sensed my relief. "You and I both know it was never going to end so easily."

"I guess you're right," I sighed for the umpteenth time that day before I lifted my back off the bed. I turned to face Kokichi, a small smile on my face. "This isn't really the time to be moping around, huh?"

"If you want to mope around, then so be it. Just bounce back up eventually. Otherwise, things will get quite boring around here," Kokichi grinned, chuckling to himself. "It's my job to keep up the facade, not yours. So just let yourself go."

"Man, talk about being a hypocrite," I rolled my eyes, shooting him a teasing remark. "Maybe you should listen to your own words once in a while."

Kokichi just frowned. "Ouch, Shiro-chan. I thought you said it was fine to be the little liar I was."

"It's not good for you, but I guess it's fine. I'm here to understand you, after all," I laughed.

"Nishishi, can you, though?" Kokichi shot me a challenging smirk.

I returned his with a confident smirk of my own. "Really? At this point in the game, I think there's nothing left that you can hide from me."

"Man, you're such a cheat sheet," Kokichi pouted. "That's so unfair."

"Nah, I think you've seen my low points too, so it's all good," I replied, then slid myself off the bed and stretched my arms up. "Well, where are you going to take me?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, I totally forgot. Miu wanted us both to head over to the casino," Kokichi followed suit and stood next to me.

I raised an eyebrow at his remark. "Casino? We found a casino here?"

"Yep! It's pretty huge. It's got two whole floors," Kokichi flashed a v-sign.

"A casino in a school for high school students? What the hell were the organizers thinking?" I sweatdropped. "Well, are we going to be playing some slot machines or something?"

Kokichi shrugged. "No clue. Miu planned everything out so I guess we'll find out when we get there!"

"...Why do I feel so nervous about the fact that Miu planned everything?" I turned to him with a dubious look in my eye.

Kokichi just shot back an uneasy smile. "Glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks that..."

"Well, no point in worrying about it now. Let's go," I headed over towards the door with Kokichi trailing after me.

We walked through the garden towards the large brown gate. Altogether, it took us around ten minutes to arrive at the casino. The whole walk was completely silent, except for that one small gasp Kokichi let out, probably because the air was quite cold. We simply walked side by side. Most likely, we had our own thoughts that were piling up inside our heads.

The only thought running through my head was a sincere word of thanks for Kokichi, though I never said it out loud.

Words were useless past a certain point and we both knew it.

 **~~O~~**

They walked next to each other for the entire time. At moments, something warm would brush against his hand and before he knew what was happening, he let out an idiotic gasp, face morphed into one of mortification and blank panic.

He saw her eyes flutter towards him for a split moment. Kokichi recognized the confusion that was whirling inside of them. He was thankful that she simply ignored his reaction and continued to walk on.

Kokichi had a small smile on his face — a genuine one that truly scared and shocked him to the core.

They were going in the _wrong_ direction.

He did not need to give her any more room than she had already taken.

It had all been his fault.

He should have never allowed himself to let his guard down. There was a part of him that truly admired her, for being the first person to see through him so clearly as she did. There was a part of him that was hopeful; he truly thought she would be the one to crack him open one day and show him who he truly was.

But at the same time, the notion scared him to _death_.

Of all places that it could happen, it just had to be during a life-or-death game such as this one.

It was quite literally, the worst case scenario.

Usually, it would have been something worth congratulating about. But to have someone figure him out so thoroughly during a game of lies like this? He might as well kill himself right then and there.

How was he supposed to trust her when the situation said otherwise?

It didn't matter whether she was the one that would eventually save him or not. Not now. It was never meant to be. Not in this ridiculous situation. Perhaps after they successfully make it out of the killing game.

Just not now.

She was his friend. She was his ally — for now. She admired her strength. She admired her keenness and intelligence. And there were many qualities that were quite useful to him. It would be beneficial to him if he persuaded her to be his ally.

There was something else that he felt inside his own jumbled feelings, but he would never discover what it was. He didn't _dare_ to.

It didn't matter what he felt for her. It didn't matter what _she_ felt for him. He could not let it happen. Whatever it was that was starting between them, he had to cut it. It was growing out of hand and he knew it...

And yet he found himself stumbling over to her room regardless.

Even if Rantaro didn't order him to, he would have gone anyways.

No, he was just making sure that she would be on his side when things came tumbling down. He could care less about what happened during the game as long as he came out as the remaining victor. That was all that mattered, no matter who he had to trick and what underhanded means he had to use...

But was that what he was really doing with Shirayuki?

Kokichi was stuck in a dilemma. His facade was crumbling. He could have placed it back up.

But did he _want_ to? _Should_ he do it?

It was clear what was right and wrong. But all of a sudden, it felt like everything he chose would still be false.

 **~~O~~**

"Uh, so what exactly happened here?"

Kaede stood dumbfounded in the center of the room with Rantaro, who was just as clueless, on her left. The two of them had coincidentally run into each other outside the school building before they heard a scream coming from inside. Sprinting towards the source of the noise brought them to Himiko's Ultimate Lab.

On the left side of the room, Tenko was lying on the floor, eyes swirling with stars, unconscious in front of a large fish tank. Angie was laughing out loud like a maniac as she danced around the room with a sword in her hands. Himiko was drenched from head to toe as she glared at Angie with disdain.

"Is something wrong...?" Rantaro found himself trailing off, tone filled to the brim with hesitance and confusion.

"Everything. Everything is wrong," Himiko frowned as she grabbed the hems of her skirt and squeezed. Water came pouring out of her wet clothes as she sneezed out loud. "Angie messed up and now everything is all wrong."

"NyahahaHAHAHA, I can hear it! I can hear Atua, singing his praise!" Angie spun around on her toes like a ballerina as she cackled.

"P-P-P-Piranhas..." Tenko's teeth clattered as she stammered the words out. Her finger shook as she pointed at the fish tank in front of her. "S-So many..."

Kaede sweatdropped. _Yeah, I can see how everything is wrong._

"Let me rephrase my statement," Rantaro cleared his throat. "What I meant to ask is... _what_ exactly is wrong?"

Himiko blankly stared at him. "Everything."

Rantaro facepalmed, sighing under his breath. "Right, we're not getting anywhere at this rate..."

Kaede's gaze flickered over towards Tenko, who was struggling to sit upright again. As Tenko groaned, Kaede briskly made her way over and supported Tenko's shoulders. Tenko turned her head around and flashed Kaede a weak smile. "T-Thank you."

"No problem. Now, can you tell us what's wrong?" Kaede returned Tenko's smile with a more animated one of her own.

"Himiko wanted to practice her magic trick—"

"It's not a trick. It's REAL magic," Himiko shot Tenko a warning glare.

"Uh, yes, her _magic_ ," Tenko flinched, starting over her sentence. "Anyways, Angie proposed to Himiko the idea of hosting a magic show and Himiko agreed. So, I decided to offer my help, though I wasn't expecting to have myself flat against a fish tank filled with live piranhas in them."

"Piranhas?!" Kaede exclaimed as she stared at the fish tank behind Tenko. True to her statement, the colossal tank was filled with a dozen of piranhas. Each of them was splashing around energetically, spraying spits of water everywhere. Kaede gulped as she turned her attention back to Tenko. "I-I see. So you screamed in surprise because you saw these?"

"Well, that was only half the reason," Tenko frowned. "Angie grabbed that sword and started to act really strange."

"The sword? You mean, the one currently in her hands?" Rantaro raised an eyebrow as he silently watched Angie, who was still dancing around in a trance. "She seems to be acting quite...weird."

"That sword is cursed by the banshee, nyeh," Himiko drawled, as she squeezed the remaining bits of water out of her hat. "Whoever holds that sword can hear the screams of the banshee spirit. Those with lower mana levels get consumed by the spirit and become like that..."

"...Wait, hold up. A what?!" Kaede screamed, gaping. She pointed a finger at Angie who started to perform sword strikes on a punching bag nearby. "You mean she's being possessed right now?"

"That's right," Himiko nodded, tone serious as she answered Kaede's question. "If we don't get that sword off her hands soon, she'll go past the point of return."

"W-W-What are we supposed to do, then?" Kaede started to stammer as she panickily looked around the room. "Should we knock it off her hands or something?!"

"Uh, Kaede?" Rantaro sweatdropped. "I don't think you should be believing her words that easily—"

"I can help you! I was caught off-guard before when Angie thrust that sword up upon my face, but now I'm ready to block it!" Tenko suddenly shot up into the air in an aikido stance. "I'll grab her arms after I block her attack. Kaede, you disarm her after that, okay?"

"Y-Yeah, let's do it!" Kaede nodded enthusiastically, a determined look on her face.

"On the count of three...one...two...three...!" Tenko counted off before she took off into a run towards Angie.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" Rantaro protested though it fell on deaf ears.

"HI...YAH!"

 **~~O~~**

"...Hey, Kokichi."

"Hm? What's up?"

"Am I dreaming right now or am I standing in Las Vegas?"

"Nishishi, my, how you like to exaggerate things. Of course, it's not Las Vegas. Do you think high schoolers are even allowed in casinos, to begin with?"

"Right, so this isn't a normal casino that locks out high schoolers from entering, meaning that I can play whatever I want to, right?"

"Uh, I guess so, but why are you asking that—"

"I want to play that _now_."

Kokichi blinked. "What, the slot machine? Are you sure?" Kokichi asked for confirmation, though an amused smile was hanging on his lips.

"Yeah, I want to play it," I repeated determinedly. "I'm serious. I want to play that now."

Kokichi tilted his head, less confused now that I was stating my mind. "Can I ask why?"

I looked him right in the eyes without blinking, and with a blank expression, whispered. Tone soft and quiet, yet with far more emotion than my words had any right to have in any scenario. "I want to get _fucking_ rich."

Shuichi sweatdropped. "Shirayuki..."

Ryoma sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. "I guess we didn't have to worry about her after all."

"Kehehe, someone who's ready to throw themselves down the pits of gambling hell definitely doesn't need our concerns," Korekiyo chuckled. "There's no need to worry about her. She seems quite fine."

"No, I think this requires a _different_ kind of attention..." Shuichi laughed dryly.

"Nah, don't pay any attention to me," I stealthily slid myself into an empty seat in front of the slot machine. Reaching inside the pocket of my skirt, I pulled a few Monokuma coins that I had. "I'm just...going...yeah, just leave me be," I found myself muttering absentmindedly as I slid a coin inside the slot and pulled on the lever.

Shuichi facepalmed as Ryoma rolled his eyes. Kokichi broke into a large fit of laughter as Kaito simply grinned.

"See? I told you she'd be fine!" Kaito nodded proudly as he stared at me.

"Yeah, I'm totally fine," I waved them off, staring as the machine came to a slow stop. Glancing at the screens, I had a row of apples and a diagonal line of oranges. The machine spat out twenty coins as I pumped my fists up into the air. "OH, FUCK YEAH!"

"Nishishi, I think we can just leave her be," Kokichi grinned. "Anyways, what should the rest of us do? Should we use Shuichi's secret medals to play some kind of hidden game?!"

Shuichi jerked his head back in surprise. "How did you know about that?"

"Well, I was kind of eavesdropping on you and Miu," Kokichi confessed with a shrug.

"What the fuck? You pubeless virgin, how dare you—" Miu started growling as she stomped off towards Kokichi in an angry fit. Before she managed to reach him, Monokuma came strolling down the stairs.

"Hm? Who made such a rule?" Monokuma, as innocent as ever, asked.

"Who else could it be?!" Miu scowled, crossing her arms as she stared daggers at Monokuma. "Don't fuck with me. I know there's some secret function to these goddamn medallions of yours."

"But it wasn't me though," Monokuma frowned, a question mark appearing at the top of his head. "I don't remember saying anything like that!"

"Qu-Quit fucking around!" Miu protested, pointing her finger at Monokuma.

"I'm not playing dumb!" Monokuma's face was slightly tinged with red. "I never tell a lie!" he screamed, raising his arms up into the air. "Those medals were just some special knick-knack that I made for my Monokubs. There's no reason for you guys to have it; just stick it in a slot machine if you want—"

"DID SOMEBODY SAY SLOT MACHINE?" I found myself hollering out as I spun my head around. "If you're not going to use those medals of yours, give 'em to me, Shuichi! Hurry, snap snap!"

Shuichi groaned as he dragged his feet over towards me. "Shirayuki, please. Gambling isn't good for you—"

"Oh shush, who cares? We're going to be stuck in here for a while anyway, so let me have my fun. Now, about those medals of yours..." I held my hand out as Shuichi hesitantly gave me the box of medals in his hand.

"...There's no saving that girl, is there?" Korekiyo raised an amused eyebrow as he watched me start another round on the slot machine.

"Nishishi, well, as long as she's having a blast, all is good!" Kokichi snickered. "Maybe I should play a round too!"

"Damn it, so I got fake info?!" Miu screeched and pulled the strands of her hair in frustration.

"Well, that's just the typical useless Miu. You would get jerked around by fake info like that," Kokichi rolled his eyes and glanced off the side. "I'm getting bored, so can we start now?" Kokichi was whining as he glanced towards Kaito.

"Let me have another try at that thing," Kaito narrowed his eyes as he walked over towards me, taking a seat on my left. He cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms out. "I want to test the instincts of Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!"

"So you're positive you're going to win? Now that sounds like something I want to prove wrong," Kokichi smirked as he skipped over towards me, jumping onto the seat on my right. "Let's have a competition!"

"What the heck did you just say? There's no way my instincts will be wrong," Kaito glared at Kokichi.

"Nishishi, it's good to be confident and all, but not when you're wrong about everything all the time," Kokichi mocked, rolling his eyes.

"Why you brat—" Kaito seethed in anger as he pulled out a handful of Monokuma coins from his pocket.

"Kehehe, I guess this is our cue to join," Korekiyo turned to look at Ryoma, who simply sighed.

"...Sure, let's battle," Ryoma took his seat on an open spot.

"Uh, guys? Really? You're going to gamble on a slot machine?" Shuichi just gaped as he stared at all of us.

"Hell yeah, we're going to get fucking rich here!" I slammed my fists together and shot him a large grin. "You should join us too, Shuichi!"

"...Fine," Shuichi threw his hands up into the air in resignation and slowly made his way over towards the rest of us.

"Let's all start with ten coins and have a battle to see who can make the most cash in the next hour," Kokichi suggested. "Winners receive a prize!"

"A prize? What prize?" I turned my head around to face him, eyes twinkling with anticipation.

Kokichi found himself smirking as he turned towards Miu with a knowing look in his eyes. "Oh, well, I think Miu has something for us..."

 **~~O~~**

"Ouch ouch ouch ouch OW!" Angie winced as Rantaro gently dabbed her arm with a cotton swab.

"Don't move, you don't want the alcohol to enter your eyes," Rantaro sighed as he patched up Angie's wound.

"S-Sorry, Angie! I didn't mean to hit you that hard," Tenko had her hands clasped together as she kneeled down on the floor in front of Angie, begging for forgiveness. "I just wanted to help you."

"Nyahaha, it's fine! I didn't think the sword would take over me that badly," Angie just chimed, completely unfazed by the wound on her arm.

"I bear half the burden. I didn't mean to slash you with the sword. I just wanted to take it off your hands," Kaede was overwhelmed with guilt as she placed a bandage over a cut across Angie's palms.

"I told you guys this wasn't a great idea," Rantaro scolded, shooting a warning glare at Kaede and Tenko who flinched under his heated gaze. "To begin with, the notion of Angie being consumed by a banshee is ridiculous."

"Nyeh, it's true though," Himiko protested, eying the sword that was lying in the corner of the room. "I can sense some evil magic oozing out of the sword."

Rantaro stood up without a warning and slowly trod across the room. Kaede, Tenko, and Himiko watched as he leaned down and grabbed the sword without hesitance, making them gasp in harmony.

"R-Rantaro?! Why did you pick that sword up?" Kaede screamed, her fingers shaking as she pointed at Rantaro.

"N-n-nooooo!" Tenko's face morphed into one of sheer horror.

"Calm down, guys," Rantaro sighed as he smoothed his fingers along the edge of the sword. "I'm not being possessed or anything."

"H-Huh? But how? Angie was acting all weird because of it," Kaede was flabbergasted as Rantaro whirled the sword around in his hand, unfazed by whatever dark magic was surrounding the weapon.

"I believe we had the answer right in front of our eyes," Rantaro pointed the sword at Angie. "Do you remember? Just now, while she was swinging the sword around, she said she heard the voice of Atua."

Tenko blinked. Then, she placed a finger on her chin as she shut her eyes tight, thinking back to the events that had played out. "Hmm...now that you mention it, I remember her saying something like that."

"To conclude, she basically went and mistook the banshee's screams for something different or in her case, Atua's voice. Then, she just got overexcited on her own," Rantaro explained in a calm voice.

"O-Oh...well, I thought the idea of being possessed by a banshee was kind of crazy to begin with," Kaede stuttered out. "So can you hear anything?"

Rantaro shrugged. "No clue. I don't hear anything at all."

"Only those with high mana can hear the screams of the banshee. That means Angie must have a high level of spiritual power," Himiko declared, nodding proudly at Angie. "You are fit to be my assistant for my magic show."

"Nyahahaha, yay~" Angie simply cheered as she stood up and twirled around in a circle.

Tenko sweatdropped. "So we shouldn't have been concerned at all. She was just delusional."

"Ahaha, I guess so," Kaede laughed, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. "Well, thankfully, nothing bad happened."

"Yes, I agree," Rantaro smiled, though his eyes were twinkling mischievously. "By the way, are you aware of the legend of the banshee?"

"The what?" Kaede and Tenko asked in harmony, blinking in confusion.

"It's said that the banshee is an omen of death. The scream is called the keening, and it is a warning that there will be an imminent death in the family of whoever hears its cries," Rantaro recited from memory. "The fact that Angie heard its cries might as well be an omen to—"

"Okay, stop right there!" Kaede immediately cut him off. "That sounds really scary and I don't want to hear about a warning of death now, especially in this situation."

"I suppose so," Rantaro had a somewhat apologetic look on his face. "I didn't mean to forebode anything. It was just something that I suddenly remembered."

"So your memories are slowly coming back?" Tenko questioned.

"No, I don't think so. It's just that this talk about banshees and cursed swords don't seem to bother me one bit," Rantaro shrugged.

"Hey, maybe it has something to do with your Ultimate Talent!" Kaede suddenly exclaimed, clapping her hands together in excitement. "Maybe you're the ultimate exorcist or something?"

Rantaro sweatdropped. "Uh, I don't think that's it."

"What about the Ultimate Priest or something?" Tenko suggested.

Rantaro shook his head. "Do I look like a priest to you?" He raised an eyebrow at Tenko.

"Nah," Tenko took back her statement. "Someone who looks as flirtatious and trendy as you can't be a priest."

Rantaro frowned. "Is that how you've always thought of me? I'm not a playboy, let me assure you."

"Perhaps you encountered folklore a lot before? Maybe you went on an adventure somewhere and discovered a cursed sword or something," Kaede threw another suggestion onto the table. "Maybe you're the Ultimate Adventurer?"

Rantaro smiled at the thought as something warm seemed to bubble up inside of him. "Why yes, that doesn't sound so bad."

 **~~O~~**

"GODDAMN IT!" Kaito pounded his fist against the ground as a stream of hot, wet, tears flowed down from his eyes. "Why? But I'm...Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!"

I sweatdropped while gathering the coins that I had earned inside my pockets. "Like I said, I have no idea how that title is related to your gamblings skills..."

"Nishishi, of course, Kaito lost by a landslide! What else did you expect?" Kokichi openly mocked him as he doubled over into laughter on his chair, clutching his stomach.

Underneath the slot machine Kokichi used lied a large pile of coins, almost double the size of my earnings. I managed to earn fifty, while Shuichi simply managed to scrape by and break even, earning nothing. Kaito was the only one at a minus.

"Kehehe, the results were expected, although I'm surprised Ryoma managed to win by such a large margin," Korekiyo glanced over towards Ryoma, who was currently sitting in the middle of his own earnings.

"That looks like around five hundred coins," I frowned. "No offense, but that pile of coins is as tall as you, Ryoma."

"Offense not taken," Ryoma leaped off the chair and stood beside his earnings, hands on his hips. "Now, does anyone have a bag or something? I can't carry all of this back to my dorm room."

"Oh, I brought one in case. Here, take it," Miu threw Ryoma a plastic bag.

Ryoma caught it with one hand. "Thanks," he mumbled as he quietly scooped his earnings into the bag.

"B-But why...? Why did I lose?" Kaito continued to pout. He was curled up into a ball as he traced his finger on the ground absentmindedly. I sighed, watching his crestfallen back from the sidelines.

"I mean, you kind of just swung the lever whenever you wanted," I laughed dryly, though I wasn't trying to sound condescending or scathing. "You just trusted your guts and ended up earning nothing."

"Nishishi, you can't just randomly pull the lever," Kokichi raised his voice slightly over the sound of Kaito's wails. "You have to time it correctly according to some pattern!"

"Wait, so you memorized the symbols on each slot? All of them?" I gaped, shaking my head in disbelief. "I could only remember where the sevens were."

"You're supposed to count?" Kaito suddenly asked from his seat on the floor. "Why'd nobody tell me that?!"

Kokichi deadpanned, staring blankly at him from above. "Dude, it's common sense. Who the hell thinks they'd win a slot machine just by pure luck?"

"But that was truly awesome, Ryoma," Shuichi turned his attention to Ryoma. "How'd you know when to pull the lever? You kept on earning every round."

Ryoma huffed as he pulled the plastic bag over his back. "Winning at something like this isn't anything to brag about."

"Hey, so did you have some trick?" Kokichi questioned, eyes twinkling with amusement and curiosity.

"Not really. I guess I just have a knack for this kind of stuff," Ryoma shrugged.

"What the hell?! So, in the end, you just used luck to win? Then why didn't I win too?!" Kaito suddenly shot up from the ground, growling ferociously at Ryoma. "Don't tell me you cheated!"

"Quit being such a loser," Miu rolled her eyes. "I stood here watching the entire thing and nobody cheated. Just accept your loss like a man or what, are you dickless? HAHAHAHA!" Miu cackled hysterically.

"WHY YOU—" Kaito began to shout, hauling himself at Miu, though Shuichi grabbed him in time.

"K-Kaito, calm down!" Shuichi yelled out as Kaito continued to thrash in anger.

Korekiyo sighed, shaking his head. "What a poor soul. Perhaps this is why luck is never on his side."

Kokichi suddenly perked up, spinning his head around to meet Korekiyo. "Ooooh! My Kokich-ey senses are tingling! Kiyo's about to give an anthropology lecture!" Kokichi suddenly cheered, raising his arms up into the air.

"Uh, the what? The Kokich-ey senses? What kind of sketchy crap is that?" I grimaced, though Kokichi continued to ignore me.

"It is said that certain words or phrases will jinx a difficult challenge. This is deeply connected to the Japanese concept of kotodama, the power of words," Korekiyo started to explain.

"Like saying green if you want me to go harder and red if you want me to stop?!" Miu interjected with a laugh.

Korekiyo immediately shot her a venomous glare. "Please, be silent."

Miu flinched back, tears prickling her eyes. "W-What...? I'm just t-trying to lighten the mood!"

I rolled my eyes. "For the first time ever, I agree with Korekiyo."

"Kehehe, you are welcome to agree with me more, Shirayuki," Korekiyo's eyes began to twinkle, although I could sense a darker meaning to his words.

I raised my hands up in front of me and backed away. "Uh, yeah, no thanks."

"Too bad," Korekiyo sighed. "I thought we could get along quite well."

"Haha...haha...ha..." I simply laughed, though it was soulless.

"Anyways, Kotodama is a belief that words contain power than can influence reality itself," Korekiyo continued his lecture. He crossed his arms and a finger into the air. "For example, speaking of positive words will lead to good fortune, and negative words will launch one down to a series of misfortune."

"Yeah, like when you rephrase a sentence so it doesn't sound as unlucky," Kokichi nodded in understanding as he listened intently to Korekiyo's words.

"Yes, when someone facing a challenge hears negative words, they might feel it is unlucky," Korekiyo hummed in agreement.

"I win simply because I'm confident in my skills," Ryoma grunted, then glanced off to the side with an almost forlorn and wistful look in his eyes. "I don't trust in things like luck. Lady luck has never been on my side," his words seemed to hold a much heavier meaning to it then what I understood.

"Words have the power to grant or rob someone of confidence. Words are powerful. Truth or lies may be fired powerfully as a bullet from a gun," Korekiyo explained. "Now, Kaito, on the other hand, seems to be relying too much on his own luck and gut feelings. That may have caused the opposite effect on reality."

"S-So I just have to stop using luck, right? Hey, Ryoma! Do you have any pre-game rituals or anything?!" Kaito suddenly asked.

Ryoma stood silent for a few moments, thinking back to his actions before the game. "Now that you mention it, I remember that my matches tend to go very well when I step into the court with my right foot first. I just did the same thing with this slot machine here."

"Seriously? Then let me try that too!" Kaito stomped off towards the slot machine with his right foot in front of him the whole time.

"HA! I bet your racket bends to the right, too!" Miu suddenly exclaimed, laughing out loud.

Korekiyo, once again, shot her a smoldering glare. "Please, be silent. **FOREVER**."

"So instead of luck, he's going to use superstition now?" I facepalmed. "He's a lost cause."

"Man, he's just so gullible," Kokichi snickered, clearly amused by Kaito's display of stupidity.

Kaito didn't last even a minute as he immediately became broke.

"SCREW THIS, I'M OUT OF HERE!" Kaito screamed as he angrily stomped off towards the exit of the casino, penniless. Shuichi shook his head in exasperation, while Kokichi rolled around on the floor, dying in laughter.

I watched Kaito's receding figure with eyes filled with pity. Poor guy didn't realize how bad he was at gambling until it was too late.

"Man, Kaito is such an amusing character to have around," Kokichi said as he stood up from the floor. "He really makes it less boring around here."

"Oh yeah, before I forget," Miu suddenly dug her hands into the pouch on her belt. "There's a prize for our top two winners here."

"A prize?" Shuichi blinked in confusion.

"Ooooh! I've been waiting for this!" Kokichi let out a squeal as he ran over towards Miu. "Do I get a superhuman robot like Kiibo?!"

"I thought you didn't like Kiibo much because he wasn't as cool as you thought he'd be," I found myself staring with a raised eyebrow.

He simply shrugged back. "Well, Kiibo seems useful enough to clean my room or something."

I sweatdropped. "So he's a Roomba...?"

"Why do I feel worried about the fact that you're giving us the prizes?" Ryoma eyed Miu with suspicion.

"Oh shut up, I'm just going to give you something cool I made a while ago," Miu then shoved an object into Ryoma's hands. "Here you go!"

Ryoma stared blankly at the object in his hands. He blinked once, then looked up to Miu and deadpanned. "What the fuck is this, a kid's toy?"

"I made it from the parts that were lying in the warehouse. It's like an RC car, but even more high tech! You can control it wirelessly with this controller here," Miu handed another console to Ryoma. "Be careful though. This thing's charged with high voltage batteries, so don't go dropping it in the shower or you'll end up becoming an eel."

"So you're just giving me a random kid's toy you made when you were bored...?" Ryoma sighed and simply dropped the car and the remote inside his bag. "Well, I guess I'll keep it for now."

"Hey, what about me?" Kokichi pouted. "I got second place, right?"

"Stop whining you puny-dickhead! You can have this dumb old key I found," Miu yelled out as she tossed him the key.

Kokichi flipped the key around in his hands and inspected it carefully. "What's this key for? It has a weird design on it. It's even heart shaped."

Miu shrugged, though there was a knowing look in her eyes. "No clue. I found it lying on the ground in the hotel next door."

"Hotel? There's a hotel here?" I asked, eyes widening in surprise. "Why would he make a hotel here when we already have the dorms?"

The casino became silent as soon as the question left my mouth. I blinked, glancing around the room. Shuichi's face was burning red, while Korekiyo simply chuckled to himself. Ryoma pulled his beanie down to cover his face as Miu smirked. Kokichi grinned as he walked closer to me, a suspicious gleam in his eyes.

"Well it's not a hotel that you can simply just stay in, you know?" Kokichi started as he crept closer to me, a wry smirk on his face.

"Uh, okay? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" My eyebrows scrunched up as I stared at Kokichi with confusion.

"Nishishi, well it's a hotel that operates only at night!" He blurted out, his smirk morphing into a grin.

"...W-W-W-WHAT?!" I shrieked, feeling my face burning with embarrassment. "WHY THE HELL DID MONOKUMA BUILD A LOVE HOTEL HERE?!"

"Well obviously, for some entertainment," Kokichi chuckled, completely unfazed.

"Entertainment...?!" I repeated, feeling the heat rush up more to my face.

"What, you don't know? Nightly entertainment, of course! You must be a fucking virgin to react like that!" Miu guffawed as she sprayed spit all over the place as usual.

Shuichi cleared his throat. "U-Uh, let's drop this topic now, alright?"

"Geez, this is getting dumb," Ryoma rolled his eyes. "I'm going to call it a night now. See you guys tomorrow morning," Ryoma waved us off and made his way up the stairs, dragging the bag of coins behind him.

"Well, I guess this is it for tonight. I'll be going off too," Korekiyo gave a small curt nod before he spun around, heading towards the exit.

"Nishishi, thanks Miu! I don't know what this key is, but I have a feeling it'll end up being veeeeeery useful!" Kokichi snickered, then skipped up the stairs. "Toodles! See you guys at breakfast!"

"H-Hey wait! I was going to give the winner a special massage at the top floor of the hotel next door—" Miu protested as she quickly sprinted up the stairs, following after Ryoma and Kokichi.

Shuichi and I shared a quick glance and sighed. What a long day _and_ night this has been.

 **~~O~~**

"Well, guess I'll be seeing you at breakfast tomorrow," I said to Shuichi as I stood in front of my door. "Have a good night sleep!"

"Thanks, though I probably won't be going to bed yet," Shuichi smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I promised Kaito I'd meet him again at the courtyard after tonight's casino session."

"The courtyard? At this time of the night?" I frowned. "You know it's already one in the morning, right? You won't be waking up in time for breakfast tomorrow."

Shuichi raised an eyebrow, giving me a pointed look. "I seem to remember a certain someone missing breakfast this morning without any warning, so I think it'll be fine."

I narrowed my eyes at him, scowling. "Oh fine. That was _totally_ my fault. There, are you happy?"

Shuichi just kept on his smile. "Just tell us next time if you're going to skip. Everyone was quite worried about you."

"Yeah, yeah, have fun with your little _date_ with Kaito—" I waved him off and quickly ran inside the door, barely missing Shuichi's utterly flabbergasted look as my words sank into his mind.

I heard him sputtering nonsense outside my door and I felt myself grinning uncontrollably. _  
_

_Think of it as an act of small revenge, Shuichi._

I felt myself yawning as I scrambled over to my bed, falling head first down onto the pillow. Flipping the blanket around me, I curled myself up comfortably and closed my eyes, feeling tired from the gambling session.

 ***THUD***

My eyes cracked open as I immediately spun my head towards the door. _Was that Kokichi, again?_

I slid a leg off the bed, standing up to open the door and felt my foot stepping on something hard and solid. I blinked, peering my head off the bed to look down at the ground.

On the floor next to my bed was a large yellow colored flashlight with a small envelope lying on top of it.


	16. Chapter 15: Memories

**A/N:** Guess who's back, lol! I've successfully made it through another university year and will now use my summer vacation to write some more chapters, woohoo! I'll update whenever I'm free, so keep an eye out!

Thanks for waiting and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as always!

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Memories**

When humans are under the most stressful and dangerous situations, they tend to overthink things. All of a sudden, everything appears to be suspicious — the tiniest of sounds and the slightest movements in the corner of their eyes. Perhaps even a seemingly harmless inanimate object...

Which brings me to the present where I am currently scared shitless from a stupid flashlight.

 _Uh, nope. No no no no no, just nope. Nu-uh._

I chanted in my head as shivers ran down my spine. Clutching my head with both hands, I blinked rapidly in a stupefied state.

Monokuma gave me a flashlight. Why on earth did he give me a flashlight? Maybe because he thought I'd be scared of ghosts— yeah right.

 _This has to be a trap of some sort._

I peered my head over the bed again, staring with narrowed eyes at the flashlight on the floor. Shoulders tensed, I quickly grabbed the flashlight and brought it next to me on the bed. I crossed my legs and arms, staring defiantly at the object.

 _No way in hell am I going to use this. Hell no. I'm not falling for his stupid tricks. Yeeting the hell out of here—_

"Upupupu, aren't you going to use it?"

"WHAT THE FUC—" I let loose a loud scream, hurling the covers off my bed, eyes wide in absolute horror as Monokuma appeared in the middle of my room. I sputtered, mouth hanging open like a dead fish, face pale as I pointed a shaking finger at him. "Y-you, w-why the hell are you here?! It's way past nighttime!"

"Hm? There was never a rule stating that I couldn't enter your rooms during nighttime!" Monokuma covered his mouth as he snickered.

Flabbergasted, I crawled back into a corner of my bed, hugging my knees in a defensive manner, eyes wary of his every movement. "That's creepy as hell! I don't know why you're here, but get the hell out before I decide to get rid of you for good!" I snapped.

"Oh? Have you forgotten that any violence towards the headmaster is forbidden? Or are you going to take your chances against my Exisals…?" Monokuma's eyes flashed red as a wide grin made its way up onto his face. "That would be an exciting event! Just imagining the blood and gore makes my body temperature rise in anticipation, upupu!"

"Oh shut up, just get out of here already!" I threw my pillow at him, though he simply hopped to the side, evading it.

"Alright, alright. I just came to tell you something about that flashlight right there!" Monokuma pointed a finger at the flashlight. "You have to use that right now. That thing will automatically break apart in an hour, so you should use it while you still can~"

"Wait, what is this thing anyway?" I poked the flashlight with my finger. "Explain to me about it first."

"Oh, this flashlight is meant to give back the memories that you lost!" Monokuma grinned. "It's a present from me to you!"

"Our...memories?" I scoffed. "You're saying this stupid thing can give us back our memories? How is that possible?"

"Oh please, have you not learned your lesson yet? Anything is possible in this school," Monokuma snickered once again. "I mean, even high school students like you guys can die at any moment."

I glared at him in fury. "That's all your fault! Don't blame it on us."

"Upupu~ calm down! Anyways, there's something else that I have to tell you about this handy-dandy flashlight here."

Skepticism overwhelmed me as I narrowed my eyes even further. "What now?"

"This is a secret between you and me. You're the only one allowed to use this particular flashlight! From now on, every time you guys successfully identify the blackened, I'll provide you with a special flashlight! As mentioned before, you must use it in one hour before it automatically disintegrates!" Monokuma raises his arms up in a cheery manner, much to my dismay.

"Why? Why am I not allowed to show this to anyone else?" I asked back.

"Well, actually, you can't mention that you received a flashlight from me to the others too. It's just a...well, you know, a special perk of some sort," Monokuma's eyes flashed knowingly, an eerie smile on his face. "You know what happens if you don't obey the rules, so do remember them well!"

"A perk? What do you mean 'perk'?"

"Oh, nothing! Just ignore this bear's nonsense! Anyways, I'll be going now, so sleep tight and enjoy your first batch of memories~"

And then he was gone, just as fast as he came.

There was a long moment of silence as my brain slowly took in what Monokuma had said. I've been in this school long enough to know that everything has a hidden purpose in this killing game—this clearly being one of them. Just like that secret door behind the bookcase, there are probably other unspoken or undiscovered secrets left for us to find: hidden identities, unknown pasts, truths, lies...

Really, this place was just such a hot-spot for mysteries that are waiting to be solved.

"Well, there's no point in worrying about it now, is there?" I sighed, accepting my fate as I grabbed the flashlight. Steeling my resolve, I gulped and flipped the switch.

 **~~O~~**

 _The soft classical music, the plinking piano keys, and the tenor vocals in Latin filled the air, as a lone figure skater in the center of the vast ice rink began to move. The sounds of the blades against the ice floor filled the air, as the skater leaped and spun: a triple loop._

 _As she landed, her long silvery locks of hair that was held up in a tight ponytail would sway to the music. Her clear and sparkling blue eyes would mesmerize the entire audience. She would glide on the ice, sliding back and forth, arms gracefully dancing as she twisted and turned._

 _A triple lutz. A toe loop. A triple lutz. A double axel._

 _My eyes followed each and every move. I remembered everything about that performance, even to the most minuscule details. The way that she leaped and glided on the ice and the speed that she used to perform her signature move: the quadruple flip. From the step sequences to the spins and the facial expressions - sometimes gentle and innocent, but at times flirtatious and erotic when needed._

 _My eyes burned with excitement and I clutched my heart, a wide smile on my face. There was something knocking in my heart. Whether it was my own thundering heartbeat or some other unknown presence within me, I did not know._

 _But that was when everything changed._

 _I reached over to my mother who sat next to me with small hands, tugging on the sleeves of her shirt. "Mom!"_

 _"Hm? What's wrong?" She turned her head towards me with a smile. "Did you enjoy the show?"_

 _"Yeah! I did!" I beamed, flashing a child-like grin. "But more importantly, I think I want to do that too!"_

 _Her smile fumbled for a split second. "H-Huh?"_

 _"As I said, I think I want to be a figure skater too!" I nodded enthusiastically._

 _My mom's expression froze. Her eyes were whirling with panic and something akin to fear. "I-I, Shirayuki, you can't be a skater!"_

 _"Huh? But why?" I pouted, glaring at her._

 _"You...You're not healthy enough. Your body won't be able to take it! You know you've had a weak immune system since you were a baby. How could you even think of going into sports in the future?" My mom's eyes were brimming with tears now._

 _"But I want to try, mom. Maybe I won't make it, but if I believe, I can do anything! Didn't you teach me that?" I retorted. "Please, mom. Just one try!"_

 _My mom pondered for a few moments before she sighed in exasperation. "Alright, fine. But just one month, okay? We can go to that public ice rink and try things out. If you can't do it, then give up without a fight, okay?"_

 _My eyes twinkled as I threw myself into my mother's embrace. "Thanks, mom! I'll try my best."_

 _Perhaps she accepted my wish so quickly that day because she thought I was sure to fail. I had no idea what she was thinking, but what she didn't know was that I wasn't going to fail._

 _Oh no, it was quite the opposite. It was the beginning of a vibrant future that awaited me._

 **~~O~~**

I gasped, coughing on air as the memories flooded into my head. The image spanned over an incredibly short period of time — so short that I would have normally deemed it as a normal lapse of memory. After all, no one remembered every detail of their lives from the moment they were born. But the problem lied elsewhere.

 _H-How could I have forgotten? The moment that I got hooked to figure skating...there's no way under normal circumstances I could have ever forgotten it!_

Monokuma had told us plenty of times that he'd taken away our school memories. But that memory just now wasn't even a part of my days at Hope Peaks Academy. It was a cherished childhood memory of mine that had no relation to our current situation whatsoever, and yet I had seemingly somehow forgotten it.

"Just...exactly how much of our memories did he steal?" my voice shook as I buried my head into my knees, breath shaky as I sighed.

 _*crash*_

I flinched as the flashlight crumbled, breaking into small, unidentifiable shards. All that was left was a pile of scattered debris, lying on the bed.

There was nothing that I could even think about, other than the extent of my lost memories. Thankfully, that seemed to be the only childhood memory that had been stolen away. Nevertheless, the realization still left me breathless — that Monokuma really was like the god of this school.

He had the ultimate power and final say to everything that occurred here. And perhaps we really didn't have a chance at winning this game at all—

I slapped my cheeks, wincing at the sharp pain. Spinning around, I slammed my head once against the wall, involuntarily yelping at the impact.

 _"If you want to mope around, then so be it. Just bounce back up eventually. Otherwise, things will get quite boring here."_

I recalled Kokichi's words from earlier and couldn't help but break out into a small smile.

"It's fine," I whispered to myself, laugh still slightly shaky. "As long as I'm breathing, I'll be fine."

I leaned my back against the wall and closed my eyes.

Who would have thought it'd come to this one day? From the time we first met, there was a sense of hostility from both sides. We were both wary of each other, constantly on the lookout for a breakthrough to our despairing situation. We swore to never believe anyone and make it out alive ourselves.

And look where that took us now.

"I can't believe his words are the only thing keeping me standing right now," I snorted, chuckling at the irony. "Who cares if what he said could've been a lie? If it helped me, then that's all that matters."

 _Really, what a great liar he is._

 **~~O~~**

Unexpectedly, I was the first one in the dining hall in the morning.

 _Especially_ unexpectedly, considering I was up fairly late past midnight. And really, just me being late for the entire week so far.

"Hm? Shiro-chan, you're up so early today! Is this a sign?!" Kokichi waved as he strolled inside the dining hall, his cheery voice brightening up my mood immediately.

"What kind of sign are you thinking about?" I rolled my eyes and slid myself into an empty chair.

"Hm...for a murder to happen?" Kokichi snickered, though his words held no malice as usual.

"That joke's getting boring, man. Find something else to say," I stared blankly at him.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it's a sign that the world's going to end!" Kokichi hummed, jumping into the seat next to me with an ecstatic grin.

"I thought it already ended since no one came to save us so far," I raised an eyebrow, thoughtlessly muttering.

"...Maybe," Kokichi shot me an indecipherable look, smile somewhat stiff on his face.

I felt the urge to ask what was bothering him, but the topic at hand was a discouraging one. It was easier for both of us to just pretend this conversation never happened, and that's what we both did.

"Soooo, did you already eat breakfast?" Kokichi randomly asked.

"I just grabbed fruit from the pantry," my eyes trailed over towards the kitchen to make my point.

"That's what I thought," Kokichi had an amused smirk hanging on his lips. "If you fixed yourself a meal, the dining hall would have been quite the disaster when I walked in."

"Oh shut up," I frowned, sullen at the reminder of my less-than-stellar cooking skills. "I can fry an egg if I want to."

"Wow, a fried egg," Kokichi deadpanned. "If that's your standard for cooking, I'm worried for your future partner's health and stomach."

"At least I can feed myself, okay?" I threw my hands in the air in exasperation. "Last time I checked, you were drinking that grape soda for breakfast, too. You're not one to talk about my health."

"Busted, whoopsies!" Kokichi knocked his own head with his fist and stuck out his tongue in a playful manner.

I rolled my eyes at his fake antics, but found myself smiling nevertheless at our usual banter. "Anyways, I'm supposed to meet everyone here for something, right?"

"Yeah, you missed something kind of important yesterday. Monokuma gave us something to use and we were waiting for you to show up," Kokichi started.

My mind immediately went to the flashlight that I used last night.

 _Don't tell me..._

"So we're going to use it after everyone finishes their breakfast!" Kokichi continued.

"What did Monokuma give you guys?" I asked though I had an inkling about what it was.

"Don't be surprised! It's apparently something that gives us back our stolen memories!" Kokichi beamed, spreading his hands out wide, waiting for my reaction.

"Ah, lovely," I laughed, loudly and sarcastically. "Another shit-storm to rain down on my life and make things even more of a mess. It's unnerving how quickly I've gotten used to this."

"Whaaaaaat? That's it? I was hoping you'd show me more of a shocked and horrified reaction," Kokichi frowned, disappointed at my lack of response.

"Well, you're the one who told me to adapt to our surroundings," I shrugged.

"Aw man! I shouldn't have told you that," Kokichi pouted, whining. "Now you've become so boring."

"You wouldn't talk to someone who's actually boring, so I'll take that lie as a compliment," I hummed absentmindedly as I stared at the door, waiting for the others to stroll in. "Also, if you didn't say the things you said last night, I wouldn't be here right now. So really, thanks again."

"Nishishi, no problem~" he replied back in a sing-song voice, humming a tune to himself.

Eventually, we ran out of topics to talk about. Nevertheless, we stayed in each other's company and waited patiently for the rest of the students to join us.

Really, it was quite a pleasant morning, but that only made it even more like the calm before a storm.

 **~~O~~**

"And that's basically what this flashlight is," Shuichi finished explaining as I nodded in understanding.

"Right, I get it. Thanks for waiting."

"No problem! We're not really in a hurry anyways."

"Sounds like a hoax to me," Maki grunted as she stared at the object in Shuichi's hand with suspicion.

"Who cares? He gave it to us, so we might as well try it," Kaito shrugged.

Maki only sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. "It's that naive line of thinking that will get us all killed one day."

"What did you say?!" Kaito shot a glare at Maki.

"Guys, come on now. Let's calm down, okay?" Kaede frowned as she quickly slid herself in between Kaito and Maki.

"Just let them be," Ryoma scoffed. "It's just a childish spat as usual."

"Excuse me?" Kaito and Maki snapped in harmony as they both turned to look at each other in surprise, then annoyance.

"My, what a lovely morning," Rantaro smiled softly as he took in the scene.

"Agreed. It is quite a peaceful morning," I nodded.

"Nishishi, I know right?" Kokichi was still humming that same cheery tune from before. For some reason, he was in a very good mood.

"How exactly is this a great start to our day?" Tenko sweatdropped at our remarks.

"Nyeh, can we just get this thing started already? I need to replenish my mana..." Himiko drawled.

"Wait, I thought you already did that yesterday?" Tenko frowned.

Himiko only tilted her hat to cover her face. "Who cares? I still need more sleep."

"...So, in the end, you just want to go back to sleep," Kiibo sighed.

"This little bitch's got a point though. Let's just get this shit show on the road already!" Miu snapped as she tapped her toes against the ground in annoyance.

"Kekeke, such impatience unbefitting of a whor— I mean lady," Korekiyo slipped up, though he immediately fixed his words.

"Hey, you were going to say 'whore' didn't you? I heard that!" Miu pointed an accusing finger at Korekiyo.

He only smiled back innocently in response. "Why, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Before Miu could retort back in disgust, Shuichi calmly clapped his hands to gain back everyone's attention. "Guys, I know we all want to have free time already, but let's just use this flashlight first, okay?"

"Yeah yeah, just hurry up and flip the switch already," Miu rolled her eyes, forgetting Korekiyo's remarks immediately.

"So is everyone ready?" Kaede asked for clarification.

"Of course," Kiibo replied with a nod.

"Gonta not sure what going on, but Gonta always ready!" Gonta flashed us all a thumbs up.

"I think we can start now, Shuichi," Rantaro pointed out with the usual calm and collected smile on his face.

Shuichi looked at each of us in the eye before he nodded. "Alright, let's go."

As he flipped the switch, I prepared myself for the dizziness that would soon follow.

Just as I thought, the experience was exactly the same as what I felt last night. The world distorted into bright yellow lights as random letters floated around us. The blinding light suddenly filled our heads with memories that we never knew we had.

There was a long moment of silence as we all stood there digesting our new found knowledge.

"I...I remember now!" Shuichi was the first to break the silence. "To protect myself against the Ultimate Hunt, I chose to erase my memories at a certain facility—"

"Wait, did you just say the Ultimate Hunt...?" Kaito interrupted, face equally pale from shock.

"Huh...? Don't tell me...!" Shuichi gasped as he frantically darted his eyes around the room.

"Y-you guys too? So it wasn't just me escaping from this Ultimate Hunt?" Miu exclaimed, sweat dripping down her face.

"But that means that..." Tenko trailed off, looking at everyone.

"It appears that we are all victims of this Ultimate Hunt," Rantaro calmly declared.

"What on earth does this even mean?" Ryoma looked genuinely frazzled for the first time since we've been here.

"Wait, I think my memory is still fuzzy," Kaede groaned as she grabbed her head in pain. "Can someone explain to me again what this Ultimate Hunt is?"

"What are you talking about? How could you forget something so important? Listen here, the Ultimate Hunt was..." Kaito started confidently, only to trail off to his own dismay. "...H-Huh? Why can't I remember what it was?!"

"It's no use. I can only remember being chased," Kiibo exclaimed.

"That's all Gonta remembers too!" Gonta frowned.

"URGH, this feels gross like a shit that won't fully squeeze out," Miu grimaced.

"Uh, please never use that comparison ever again," Kaede gagged, shooting Miu a warning look.

"More importantly, if we were all running away from this Ultimate Hunt, then why are we currently imprisoned here?" Ryoma crossed his arms, thoughtfully looking up at the ceiling.

"Maybe we got caught?" Kiibo suggested.

"Aha! So we were all captured by the Ultimate Hunt! So they must be the ones who instigated this entire game!" Angie exclaimed, raising both arms into the air in joy at her own deduction.

"Well, that is quite an interesting train of thought," Korekiyo hummed in agreement.

"But we have no way of confirming that yet," Shuichi frowned.

"That's true. No one can remember anything," Kaede sighed.

"Nyahaha! What a disappointing disappointment!" Angie laughed cheerfully, much to Maki's chagrin.

"Is this supposed to be a funny situation?" Maki scowled.

"Yeah, quit laughing about this, you little piece of shit!" Miu snapped in anger.

"...Wait. Don't you know anything about this, Rantaro?" Shuichi suddenly asked, turning everyone's attention towards him.

Rantaro blinked, surprised at the sudden attention. "You mean about the Ultimate Hunt?"

"You asked Kaede and I about the Ultimate Hunt before, didn't you? That means you knew about it before we used this flashlight here," Shuichi recalled.

"Oh? Our mild-mannered mystery man said that huh?" Kokichi smirked as he stared at Rantaro. "I knew something was wrong since the start with your gentlemanly act~"

"Wait. It is true that I remember knowing about the Ultimate Hunt. However, I'm the same as you guys. I'm only aware of it but have no other useful knowledge about the organization or the actual chase itself," Rantaro explained himself.

"And how are we supposed to believe that, you degenerate male!" Tenko narrowed her eyes as she took a step back.

"Don't tell me you're the real mastermind behind all of this!" Miu exclaimed.

"Wait, did you forget he almost got killed in the last trial? How could he be the mastermind?!" Kaede argued.

"How am I supposed to know? Maybe it's a psychological trap where he attempted to be a victim in order for us to believe him later on!" Miu retorted.

"Wow, for once Miu actually spoke something half decent!" Kokichi clapped his hands in a mocking manner.

"But if that's true, then Kaede is also suspicious because she's the one who tried to kill Rantaro. Maybe these two are in cahoots with each other," Maki glared at Kaede and Rantaro, who flinched under her killer-like gaze.

"W-Wait a minute. Why are we talking about the mastermind right now? That's not important," Shuichi quickly said in a panic. "First, we should gain as much information as we can. The more we distrust each other, the more we're playing into Monokuma's hands!"

"That's right! We need to believe in each other right now. Maybe Rantaro's memory erasing machine wasn't as good as ours, which is why he still remembered about the Ultimate Hunt," Kaito butted in.

"That is possible," Kiibo scrunched his eyebrows in deep thought. "Instead, he doesn't remember his talent. Perhaps something went wrong with the memory erasing machine he used...?"

"Upupupu~ who knows what the real truth is? Perhaps he is hiding something from you guys," Monokuma's voice was suddenly heard in the dining room as everyone jolted in surprise.

Monokuma, as usual, fluttered down from the ceiling and landed comfortably on an empty chair.

"Hey, what's going on, you stupid-ass bear! This frickin' Hunt thing makes no goddamn sense!" Miu yelled.

"Looks like your sealed memories are more stubborn than I thought," Monokuma grinned. "Just one use of the Flashback light wasn't enough to restore all your memories."

"You're such a terrible liar," Kokichi suddenly started to snicker as he shot Monokuma a knowing look. "You tooootally did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"What connection do you have with the Ultimate Hunt?" Maki bluntly asked.

"Hm? Unfortunately, I can't reveal anything about that right now!" Monokuma started to guffaw as his eyes turned red. "Regardless of my involvement, my goal is crystal clear! All I want is for you guys to play this killing game! That is all I desire~"

And before we knew it, Monokuma slipped away from our sights again.

"The Killing Game? No way! I'm not doing that ever again," Tenko protested.

"Of course not. We're going to cooperate together and get out of here alive. Right, Kaede?" Kaito grinned widely.

Kaede nodded in response and pumped her fists up into the air. "Yeah! If we Ultimates work together, we're bound to get out of here alive!"

"I agree. Cooperation is the best course of action—" Kiibo started, only to be interrupted by the sound of snoring.

"ZZZZzzzzz," Kokichi started to fall asleep while standing, snoring out loud. A large bubble was blowing from his nose.

"Why are you suddenly asleep?!" Kiibo exclaimed in exasperation.

"W-Woah, what?! I dozed off for a second there because I heard something boring," Kokichi snapped out of his dazed state.

"How could you fall asleep during a serious conversation like this?" Rantaro sweatdropped.

"Well, is it written somewhere that I have to take serious conversations seriously?" Kokichi teased back in a childish manner.

"Damn, quit acting so immature!" Kaito groaned.

Kokichi only cocked his head to the side in an innocent manner. "Well I am a teenager, so duh, I'm immature! Or what, did you guys forget your age or something?"

"Uh, I don't have a biological age..." Kiibo meekly raised his hand.

"Oh, don't worry Kiibo! I'm only talking to humans right now," Kokichi dismissed him with a wave.

"Grrrrr," Kiibo silently seethed in anger.

"Anyways, we don't need to work together though. We can just ask how we'll get out of here!" Kokichi abruptly announced.

"Huh? Who are you talking about?" Kaito blinked.

"You mean Monokuma? He's not going to say anything," Maki rolled her eyes.

"Non non! Of course, we ask...the mastermind," Kokichi nonchalantly declared as if he were talking about the weather.

Immediately, his words caught everyone's attention. It was no surprise. Any mention of 'the mastermind' had become something like a taboo among us students. It served as a reminder to the horrendous execution and death that we had witnessed only a few days ago.

"The mastermind? Aren't we stuck in this situation because we can't figure out who it is?" Kaito furrowed his brows, confused at Kokichi's words.

"But don't we have a clue now?" Kokichi's eyes twinkled mischievously. He slowly turned his head towards Rantaro. "Right?"

"Are you suspecting Rantaro?" Shuichi narrowed his eyes.

"Nishishi, who wouldn't in this situation?" Kokichi gave Shuichi a helpless shrug. "Everything about this guy screams 'murder'! You know what I mean?"

"I knew something was wrong with you!" Tenko placed herself into a fighting stance. "You degenerates were never safe to be around!"

"W-Wait, we don't know for sure, right?" Kaede stammered as she felt everyone's heated gaze.

"Of course we don't. We could try to figure out the truth, but then we might repeat Kaede's screwup all over again~" Kokichi's words were like a knife to Kaede, who visibly shuddered at the reminder of her failure.

"Hey, stop it already!" Kaito stepped forward, attempting to destroy the hostile atmosphere surrounding the hall. "This isn't the time to be fighting against each other."

"Yeah yeah, you said that like a hundred times already," Kokichi scoffed as he picked his ears in boredom and annoyance. "We're still stuck here because our situation hasn't changed. Someone's got to start doing some serious work around here." Then, he turned towards Shuichi with a bright, but scheming smile on his face. "Right, Shuichi?"

"H-Huh?" Shuichi was taken back by Kokichi's attention towards him. "Me?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! You're the detective around here. It's your job to figure out who the bad guys are, right?" Kokichi snickered.

"Hey, don't just throw all the burden at Shuichi!" Kaede butted in with a glare of her own.

"Of course not. I'll be doing my own share of the detective work too! I can be your sidekick and help you solve the mysteries. So how about it, Shuichi? Why not work together with me?" Kokichi jumped up and down in excitement at the thought.

"In your dreams! Who'd want to work with a compulsive liar like you?" Kaito rolled his eyes.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Kokichi's eyes twitch at Kaito's remark. "Well I don't think a dumb potato works as a useful sidekick either, but up to you," Kokichi spatted out in spite.

"Oh, that does it, you brat! This is why no one wants to work with you," Kaito scolded.

"But his words do have a point," Kiibo interjected with his own honest opinion.

"What, that I'm a potato?!" Kaito gaped in horror. "Is that what you guys think of me?"

Kiibo sweatdropped. "No, not that. I mean about figuring out who the mastermind is. That's the point of this game, right?"

"See? Even Kii-boy here understands where I'm getting at," Kokichi nodded with a proud look on his face. "Well, it's fine if you guys want to work together. I'll be doing some thinking on my own with my own personal side-kick, Shiro-chan."

"H-Huh? Sorry, what did you say?" I found myself breaking out of a trance.

Kokichi frowned as he cocked his head to the side in an inquiry. "What's wrong? You've been quiet ever since we used the flashlight."

"Oh, nothing. I just kind of remembered something important...?" I sheepishly said as I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

Kokichi jolted at my words, eyes blinking rapidly. "Huh? You remembered something else?"

"Oh, no, not from the flashlight. Just...you're accusing Rantaro of being the mastermind because he remembered something before we used the light, right?" I asked.

"Well he is the most suspicious one around here," Tenko glared at Rantaro, who flinched under her burning gaze.

"Uh, I really don't know anything else..." Rantaro held his hands in front of him in an innocent manner.

"So what about it?" Angie popped into the conversation.

"Well I kind of forgot to tell you guys something," I started. "Ever since I woke up in that locker, I already had memories of being chased around by an unknown cult. Although I didn't know that was something from the Ultimate Hunt..."

As I trailed off, I gauged everyone's reaction. Tenko and Kaito both had horrified looks on their faces as their jaws hung open wide. Shuichi, Rantaro, Ryoma and Korekiyo calmly took in my words. Kaede and the rest of the girls were somewhat surprised.

Kokichi, who was standing in front of me, had an indecipherable look in his eyes.

I found my heart skipping a beat underneath his gaze. It was clear that my words had broken something — perhaps our level of trust in each other. All of a sudden, he took a step back, eyes wary of me as if it was the first day that we met.

 _Oh, me and my big fat stupid mouth. Why did I have to say that?_

"HUUUUUUUH? So you already remembered something too?!" Miu screamed. "Why the fuck didn't you tell us beforehand?!"

"Well, it kind of slipped my mind," I frowned. "I didn't know the extent of everyone's memories so I didn't mention anything."

"Fair enough," Shuichi nodded in understanding.

"That is so fishy," Himiko drawled out underneath her giant mage hat, though I felt a piercing glare from her.

"Hm, but if Shirayuki also remembered something before we used this flashlight, that makes Rantaro less suspicious," Korekiyo suddenly uttered.

"If it was just one person, it would definitely be suspicious. But what could it mean if two people actually remembered?" Ryoma cupped his chin with his hand in a thoughtful manner.

"Aren't they just both accomplices or something?" Miu suggested.

"I'm pretty sure Tsumugi was the accomplice of the mastermind," Shuichi argued. "I highly doubt all three of them were in this together. The first trial was too much of a mess, due to Rantaro's and Shirayuki's unforeseen actions. Actually, that was why Tsumugi's plans failed to begin with."

"So it's impossible for Rantaro and Shirayuki to be the real mastermind...?" Kiibo repeated, though his eyes were still filled to the brim with suspicion.

"Kekeke, only time will tell," Korekiyo chuckled, amused at the turn of events.

"I think it's best if we all just separate for now," Kaede suddenly suggested with a smile. "It's not good to stay in this stressful atmosphere. Let's all call it a day and enjoy our free time."

"True. This turned out to be quite the grim morning in the end," Ryoma sighed as he headed out the door.

"Agreed," Rantaro also sighed as he dejectedly walked out of the hall.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys later. I have to think on my own for now," Kiibo, who was still distraught from our conversation, slowly dragged his feet out the door.

Soon enough, everyone had left, leaving me and Kokichi standing in the center of the dining hall. Feeling suddenly awkward in his presence, I took a step towards the door, hoping to slide out in silence.

"What on earth are you?" Kokichi's words made me halt in my step.

"...Are you just repeating what I said to you a while back?" I turned around to face him.

Kokichi still had on an unrecognizable expression. "You're like an outlier in this game. I can't seem to understand what role you play here."

"Role? What are you talking about?" I furrowed my brows.

"...It's nothing. I'm going to go back to my room and think things through again," Kokichi emotionlessly said as he headed towards the exit.

I clenched my fists as he brushed past me. "It's fine, Kokichi."

This time, he was the one who stopped mid-step. He turned just his head around towards me. There was a knowing glint in his eyes, yet he asked me nevertheless. "What do you mean?"

"Our relationship is based on lies, to begin with, right?" I found myself saying. "So it's fine to distrust me because of what I said just now about my memories. It's not like we spent time together because we trusted each other anyway, right?"

"Mhm. This is all just a game," he turned to face me, face blank. **"Everything is a game here."**

I nodded in understanding. "I know. In fact, we spend time together because we don't actually truly trust each other, right?"

Kokichi seemed to be perturbed by my words. "Is that it..? Is that why I spend time with you? To see past the hidden lies or truths?" Kokichi's eyes were whirling with inexplicable emotion.

I blinked, confused. "Isn't that what you wanted all along? I thought you approached me because I seemed suspicious, ever since you walked in on me opening that hidden door in the bookcase."

"Right. And your words annoyed me. They denied my existence. So I wanted to destroy you too by uncovering the mysteries that surrounded you," Kokichi confessed, though it was nothing I didn't know beforehand. "But...is that really why I spent so much time around you instead of finding information about the others to win this game?"

"...You know yourself the best, Kokichi," I frowned. "I can't answer that for you."

"Oh, don't worry. Although I expect many things from you, this isn't one of them," Kokichi spoke out in an eerily robotic, and somewhat foreboding voice. "No one can truly understand what I'm thinking."

I sighed in exasperation, though a part of me felt extremely hurt at his hopeless words. "And so we're back to this conversation again. It's fine if you use me. I know you're planning on doing that anyway because that's just who you are— no, what you want to be right now. But I'll be taking actions and thinking at my own accord."

"You really are tiring to be around," Kokichi suddenly scowled.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "And yet you come to find me anyways. What a hypocrite."

"So are you," Kokichi shot me another knowing glance.

I shrugged, though I felt a small smile creeping up on my face. "That makes us two both idiots."

Kokichi didn't reply, though I could see a faint smile at the corner of his lips as he disappeared out the doorway.

I sighed loudly and stared up at the ceiling, eyes swirling with resolution.

 _It's fine. We have no use for things like truths and lies. There are lies that are born truth, but also truths that are born from lies. So it's fine if we don't distinguish between them._

 _It doesn't change the fact that our conversations, the things that we witnessed, and how we felt so far this past week are the truth._

 _And that's all that matters in this deception-filled school — that hope can be born from lies..._

 _That the lies can sometimes save you._


	17. Chapter 16: Motive Mayhem

**A/N:** Whoops, sorry for almost taking another month to update. I'm still around, just busy as usual. I think we've still got around 2 or 3 more chapters of 'downtime' before the next, ya know, event occurs. Anyway, thank you for reading as always and glad to have you new favs and follows onboard!

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Motive Mayhem**

"You know, I'm starting to think that we made such a stupid choice to tell everyone about our memories."

Rantaro shot me a pained, strained smile. "Make that two."

Although I expected this to happen, it didn't make the situation any more pleasurable. Ever since we separated from the others, not a single one of them greeted us again. To be more exact, none of them wanted to spend even a second in our company — including dinner, which consisted of only Rantaro and me in the dining hall alone.

I groaned, huffing out loud with my arms crossed. "I'm a first-class idiot."

Rantaro sweatdropped, chuckling dryly. "Well, you didn't need to tell anyone about your memories, to begin with," Rantaro started. He picked up his glass of water, fumbling absentmindedly with the straw. "So I guess I owe you thanks for making me look less suspicious."

"That was the intention, but I think I just made us _both_ look conspicuous instead," I muttered in disappointment with a sigh. "Why does nothing ever go the way I want it to?"

"It does pique my interest, though." Rantaro narrowed his eyes as he stared at the glass of water in his hands. "Why are we the only ones who retained a part of our memories? Everyone else seems to have forgotten everything from day one."

"Maybe we're special?" I shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows what Monokuma was up to? Perhaps he was simply having one of those days where you just forget to do the things on your list, you know?"

Rantaro sent me a dubious look. "Are you really suggesting that Monokuma, of all people, just simply forgot to take all our memories away?"

I blinked twice before I turned towards him with a blank stare. "Someone who made a game as elaborate as this? Nope. I must be an S-class idiot," I deadpanned.

Rantaro just rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I have to say, I'm thinking of agreeing to that statement from now on."

"Oh, shut up, mister know-it-all." I jabbed an elbow into his sides, though he simply dodged to the right with a swerve of his hips. I frowned, glaring at him. "Why the hell did you dodge that?!" I whined, pouting.

Rantaro just scoffed. "Well, when you use the same tactic every single day, it does get kind of predictable, miss S-class idiot."

"Prick," I mumbled under my breath, though he seemed to have heard it anyway.

"So, what happened with you and Kokichi?" Rantaro ignored my previous statement and changed the subject. "Seems like you had another argument."

"...I don't know." I let loose another sigh, slumping further down into my chair. "I don't think we're arguing. It's just...Kokichi being Kokichi."

"And you being you?" Rantaro raised a knowing eyebrow.

"Mhm. Just us being us like usual." I grabbed my own glass of water and chugged down the whole drink. "Don't worry. This always happens with him around. It's nothing serious. It'll be over soon."

"That's good to hear." Rantaro stood up and collected his dishes. "We can't have our strongest duo in an argument for long, or else we'll be screwed if another murder happens around here."

I choked on thin air, coughing out loud. "E-Excuse me?!" I sputtered, staring at Rantaro with half-watery eyes. "S-Strongest duo? Since when was that an actual thing?"

Rantaro rolled his eyes as he disappeared inside the kitchen. The sound of plates clattering against the metallic sink echoed throughout the dining hall. "Since the end of the first trial. You both played a huge role in figuring out the culprit, after all."

"What about Shuichi, though? He's the detective around here. If he was serious, he could probably best us all," I replied as I stood up with my own plates. I followed after Rantaro, heading over to the sink.

Rantaro leaned against the fridge and crossed his arms with a frown. "Well...I think that's where the issue lies..."

"What?" I spun my head around to face him as I placed my dishes down into the sink. "What do you mean by that?" I cocked my head to the side in confusion.

"I think a part of him didn't _want_ to expose the culprit," Rantaro bluntly accused.

"Huh? Why would he want that?" I scrunched up my eyebrows.

Rantaro shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe something happened to him in the past. We don't know how many cases he's been involved in so far. A few of them might have been seriously life-threatening."

"Oh, like breaking into a mafia's hideout and destroying a gang's drug-dealing ring?" I winced at the unpleasant thought. "Just imagining it sends shivers down my spine." I turned back towards the sink and flipped the handle up as water poured down.

"Well, I'm sure Kaede got him figured out," Rantaro commented with a smile. "She seems to be talking to him often. They seem pretty close."

"Those two are pretty much lovebirds by now." I rolled my eyes while scrubbing the plates. "Can they even be more obvious?"

There was an awkward moment of silence that followed after my statement. I blinked once and then twice. Feeling Rantaro's gaze on my back, I turned the water off and spun my head around to face him. There was an extremely blank and exasperated look in his eyes. "...What?" I meekly asked, feeling uncomfortable under his stare.

Rantaro sighed before he deadpanned. "You of all people saying that. How ironic."

"Huh? What are you on about?" I furrowed my brows.

Rantaro just rolled his eyes. "I feel bad for that guy."

"Who, what, when, where, why?" I spatted out in confusion.

Rantaro spun around on his heels, shaking his head as he left the kitchen. "Think for yourself."

"Wha— don't leave me hanging!" I cried out in vain as he shut the door to the dining hall, leaving me to wallow alone in confusion over his words for the rest of the evening.

 **~~O~~**

"Um, Himiko?" Tenko fidgeted nervously with her fingers as she watched Himiko dump a large bag of white powder inside the cauldron. "What are you doing?" Tenko visibly grimaced as the cauldron released a rancid odor that smelled like dead flesh around the room.

Tenko had witnessed a fair share of phenomenons in her life, most involving her not-so-inconspicuous way of getting into fights outside her dojo. There were fighters who pulled gravity-defying techniques, and those whom Tenko believed were secretly descendants from a ninja clan, judging from their lightning speed. In short, Tenko was well accustomed to the more illogical and unrealistic side of our world...

But whatever it was that was brewing inside Tenko's cauldron took the grand prize.

"Shh! Don't disrupt me. I need to focus on gathering my mana together," Himiko scolded, sending Tenko a sharp glare.

With a small 'eep', Tenko immediately shut her mouth tight with both hands.

"Nyahaha, Himiko, what are you making?" Angie innocently asked, curiosity overflowing from her sparkling eyes. "Is it a magic potion? Something to recover your HP? Your mana? Or maybe something...more dangerous?" Angie's eyes had a mysterious glint to them as she stared at the mixture with interest.

"Nyeh, it's not poison, if that's what you're thinking," Himiko drawled lazily as she stirred the large pot with a giant wooden ladle. "This is supposed to be a magic drink that instantly recovers your stamina."

Tenko immediately perked up at that statement. "Really? So if I drink it, it'll allow me to gain back my energy?"

Himiko paused for a second before she continued stirring. "Well, theoretically, yes."

"That sounds amazing!" Tenko suddenly beamed. "You see, I've always wanted to practice my aikido moves here. But with all this...murdering going on, I wanted to preserve my strength to stay safe when danger creeps upon us."

"Nyeh? Your point being?" Himiko asked while grabbing a different bottle that contained leafy greens that were soaked in an unknown liquid.

"I want to borrow this potion of yours! That way, I can practice my moves without having to worry about a loss of stamina!" Tenko flashed Himiko a wide grin and a thumbs up.

"That's ten thousand yen." Himiko held her hand out towards Tenko's direction.

Tenko sweatdropped at Himiko's actions. "Uh, what? It's that expensive?!" Tenko did a double-take as she gasped out loud, staring in horror at Himiko.

Himiko gave Tenko a pointed look. "Nyeh, I make a living on this stuff, okay?" Her tone was judgmental as if she were scolding Tenko for making such a blatantly obvious statement.

"W-Wait, ten thousand yen? I don't think I have that much money on me..." Tenko slumped her back, dejected at her lack of funds.

"Nyahaha, I'll buy it!" Angie suddenly shot her hand into the air, waving it enthusiastically. "Give me one bottle of that, Himiko~."

"Sure, I'll give it to you when I finish it," Himiko answered in an absentminded manner. "Be careful you don't overdose it, though. It has some side effects you should be careful about."

"Side...effects...?" Tenko repeated in confusion. "What kind?"

"Oh, the usual. Some people hallucinate and lose their bearings after drinking this," Himiko lazily replied, unbeknownst to the look of horror that dawned on Tenko's face as she realized the true meaning behind the potion.

"You...put in some white powder and leafy, uh, weeds, right?" Tenko asked for clarification, clearly afraid of the answer.

"Yes, they're the key ingredients to this potion. Why?" Himiko cocked her head for the side.

Tenko jolted and waved her hands in a panic. "Oh, n-nothing. It must be my imagination, hahaha!"

Himiko seemed to doubt Tenko's excuse but chose to leave it alone.

"A-Anyway, you have ten thousand yen on you?!" Tenko gaped at Angie, hoping to change the subject. "Are you actually a rich kid? I thought you were more of an island child!"

Angie only snickered at Tenko's remarks. "Well, even if I lived on an island, I was still preeeetty famous, you know? After all, I am Atua's number one follower." Angie clapped her hands together as a blissful wave of euphoria washed over her. "As long as you follow Atua, everything will be alright!"

Tenko only stared at Angie with suspicion in her eyes. "You know, sometimes you sound like one of those phony religion leaders who manipulate people into worshipping them like a god."

Angie stilled at Tenko's remark. She lit up, eyes gleaming with a wicked zeal as she took in Tenko's opinion of her. "Oh? Why would you say... _that_?" Angie's burning gaze punctured Tenko with a feeling of unease.

Nobody needed to tell Tenko that she had somehow managed to screw up big time. Really, that loud mouth of hers was a troublesome thing.

"Oh, no, uh, you know, I was just saying random things?" Tenko was laughing out loud, but there was no denying the way every syllable of hers was shaking.

Angie's lips slanted into a grin. The expression, however, held not even the tiniest sliver of humor. To Tenko, it was someone who had finally landed its claw onto its prey. The malice and underlying threat were as subtle as a meteorite crashing onto the roof of the White House.

"Nyahaha..." Angie's laugh dropped in volume and pitch. "I see. It would be quite annoying to have such baseless rumors spread out to everyone. You know what I mean, right?"

There was no hiding that murderous intent any longer. Tenko whimpered under Angie's heated gaze as she nodded frantically in desperation. "O-Of course!"

Himiko only stared at the two with disinterest. "I'm done. Take your bottle, Angie."

Angie's demeanor immediately changed as she switched back to her usual joyous, flowery self. "Ah, thank you, Himiko! I'll wire you the cash later~."

"Nyeh, it's fine. It's not like we're getting out of here any time soon..." Himiko started in a dejected manner.

"Oh, Himiko!" Tenko was walking up towards Himiko in a heartbeat. Her eyes softened as she watched Himiko look up at her with sad eyes. It sent a pang of guilt at her conscience — that she didn't realize how nervous her friend was about the whole situation. "Don't worry!" Tenko started on an upbeat. "We'll definitely get out of here!"

"...Really? Do you honestly think so?" Himiko carefully asked, probing at Tenko's innermost thoughts.

For a moment, Tenko was left speechless. Did she really believe, from the bottom of her heart, that they could all leave safely from this cage? Even she herself didn't know that answer — or more like she didn't _want_ to know.

Because if she admitted to herself that leaving safely wasn't a likely scenario, then she wouldn't know what to do anymore.

"It'll be fine!" Tenko reassured Himiko as she softly placed her hand on top of Himiko's hat, stroking gently. "I believe in you and everyone else."

"...Okay." Himiko gave a small smile that filled Tenko with warmth.

Angie was seething on the sideline, biting her lips in annoyance. "It's that kind of thought that leads to a new murder...I need to stop this..." Angie mumbled to herself.

But Tenko and Himiko were too occupied with each other to hear Angie's cry for help.

Perhaps it was all Tenko's fault for not realizing that Angie may have wanted some words of comfort too, but this would soon come to be her biggest regret in the next few days.

 **~~O~~**

 _ ***Ding Dong Bing Bong***_

The screen buzzed as the usual image appeared on the screen. "Rise and shine, ursines! This is an official announcement from the Ultimate Academy. It is now 8 A.M. Have a wonderful killing school semester today," Monodam announced lethargically as he sipped on a bottle of purple panta.

"Oh, by the way," Monophanie added. "We dropped off some presents in your rooms last night."

"Cower in fear, you fuckin' brats! Cuz the hell starts now!" Monokid struck his guitar as he guffawed loudly.

"And one more thing. You'll know this as soon as you use your presents, but remember this: _no one has their own motive_." Monodam advised.

 _Did they say a gift? This better not be another one of Monokuma's stupid tricks..._

It wasn't hard to spot their so-called gift, especially with its glaringly obvious neon rainbow design. There was a new electronic device on top of my desk, and every cell and molecule inside of me screamed not to touch it.

But then again, when did I ever listen to my own warnings?

I grabbed the pad off my desk and settled down comfortably on my bed, just as a precaution, in case the contents were so shocking I'd knock myself out cold while standing. Really, I didn't want to startle anyway with a crime scene this early in the morning. It was way too early to start dealing with Monokuma's bullcrap.

I touched the screen as the device came to life. There was only one file on the main screen — a video. There was no need for hesitation at this point and I pressed the play button, watching the video unfold.

"Alrighty! Back by popular demand, it's time for the motive video!" Monokuma's squeaky voice was the first thing that came out of the video. On reflex, I turned the volume knob down immediately.

But what caught my attention wasn't his stupidly infuriating voice. It was the bolded letters in light blue in the middle of the screen: Kokichi Ouma's Motive Video. My brain short-circuited as I stared blankly at the screen.

 _Why the fuck do I have Kokichi's video? Did they make a mistake in distributing these out?_

I remained frozen, still poised right in the crest of my hesitance to either watch or throw the video away, mainly because it wasn't even mine.

"Who's the most important person in your life? Now, without further ado..." The screen flipped to a different image of Kokichi and his goons. "Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader—"

 _*BZZT*_

I slammed the pad face down onto my bed after shutting the power off. In that split second, I made my choice.

"...Yeah, this is how it should be," I grumbled to myself with a resigned sigh, running my hand over my face.

There was no way I was going to watch the video. Whatever Monokuma intended for us to do with this information, I wasn't going to play into his hands — e _specially_ not when there was so much at stake because this pad in my hand was damning evidence, most likely, of Kokichi's lies.

And boy, who knew what would happen to me if Kokichi caught wind of this. Torture. Punishment. _Murder_. All of those choices were anything but pleasant to me and, really, any other sane human being out there in the world.

Who would be stupid enough to sign their death sentence?

 _Innocence is bliss. Ignorance is bliss. Yep. Better not touch this thing ever again unless I want my head to be blown off by who-knows-what weapon he has stashed inside that messy room of his._

I knew more than anyone what kind of person Kokichi was. He valued his privacy and secrecy above everything. In fact, I was starting to suspect he probably valued it above his own life. To die in the middle of his own lies. Now _that_ sounded like something Kokichi would do.

There was no doubt that he, most likely, also knew that I had figured a good chunk of him out, which was why it made this situation even more alarmingly dangerous, like treading on a thin line between heaven and hell. This was a game between us with our own rules to _never_ overstep each other's boundaries — and this metallic piece of crap was literally like a cheat code.

My jaws clenched as I huffed out another shaky sigh, a single breath packed with anxiety, confusion, guilt, and a bunch of other things. "What am I supposed to do with this...?"

My train of thought was interrupted as I heard someone repeatedly smash my doorbell. I jolted, spinning towards the sound, heart in my mouth — before I belatedly realized it was just the door. I dragged myself towards the door and swung it open — well, to be precise, more like the door slammed open by itself and barely missed the tip of my nose by a millimeter.

"SHIRAYUKI!" Kiibo's robotic face was pushed inside my room. "It's an emergency!"

"Right, right, I know." I attempted to calm him down and lightly pushed him back outside with my hands. "The motive videos, right? I'm coming, I'm coming."

"Oh, so you received it as well!" Kiibo's voice dropped down a notch as he willed himself to take in deep, slow breaths. "Sorry, I was getting overly panicked. Anyway, everyone else is waiting at the dining hall."

"Right, I'll be there in a flash. Just, uh, let me get out of these pajamas," I said awkwardly as Kiibo blinked, eyes flickering to my less-than-informal attire that consisted of a tank top and shorts.

"O-Oh, uh, whoops! Sorry about that! I'll wait with the others at the dining hall!" Kiibo stumbled over his words and gave a shaky smile before he jogged out of the dorms.

The door slammed shut, and I hurriedly got myself changed.

 **~~O~~**

"So? What's going on? Why did you drag us here?" Maki was twirling her pigtails in annoyance as she glowered at Kaito and Kiibo.

Kiibo and Kaito had apparently been banging on everyone's door since morning, raising a loud ruckus that woke everyone else up. As the two early birds, they were the first to watch the motive videos that they received and most definitely panicked like the goose-heads they were. In the end, they managed to successfully drag everyone, albeit most unwilling, into the dining hall.

"Look, Monokuma gave us a new motive. We can't just leave it be now, can we?" Kaito rolled his eyes, stating the obvious.

"What, the Kubs Pad or whatever they called it? That's supposed to be our new motive?" Maki just scoffed. "Sounds stupid and very idiotic. Just like you two." Maki's words were scathing, and it burned on Kaito's skin as he quietly seethed in anger.

"Maki, haven't you watched the video on the Kubs Pad yet?!" Tenko let loose an incredulous gasp in surprise.

"No, I ignored it because I figured it was something stupid." Maki's reply was blunt and curt, just like her less-than-stellar personality.

"Well, you're not wrong." I snorted, drawing disconcerted glances from around me. "Monokuma's just trying to do whatever he can to get us to murder each other like pigs in a slaughterhouse."

"Uh, Shirayuki? The pigs don't kill themselves in a slaughterhouse. We do that for them." Rantaro couldn't resist the urge to make a smart comment.

I groaned, feeling the heat rush up my cheeks. "Oh, forget the details. You get what I mean." From the corner of my eyes, I could see Kokichi stifling a snicker in the corner of the dining hall, and it took my everything to resist the urge to slap that guy in the face.

"Okay, well no one's going to force you to speak up. But this is important stuff, so you could at least listen for a bit." Kaito surprisingly managed to hold in his fury and calmly spoke back to Maki's aggressive remarks.

Maki shrugged, lazily leaning on the wall behind her with a bored look on her face. "I'll try not to fall asleep."

"Nishishi, so what are these videos, anyway?" Kokichi innocently asked with his arms behind his back. "I didn't get to watch the one I got yet, because a certain someone came barging into my room so early in the morning!"

"No doubt they're more motives from Monokuma, but why were they all mixed up...?" Kiibo frowned, completely unapologetic towards Kokichi as he kept the conversation going.

"Yeah, why did Gonta get—" Gonta started, only to be stopped by Kiibo sudden burst of exclamation.

"Wait, don't say it!" Kiibo yelled out loud, catching Gonta by surprise.

Gonta jerked his head towards Kiibo, eyes widening in shock. "H-Huh? Was Gonta not supposed to, uh, say it?"

"Who fuckin' cares?! We're gonna exchange 'em anyway, right?!" Miu scoffed. "Whoever has mine, hand it over now!"

"No, we can't do that," Shuichi suddenly interjected.

"H-Huh? Why's that?" Kaede questioned, frowning in obvious distaste at Shuichi's suggestion.

"I think the answer's glaringly obvious." Rantaro's calm and collected voice caught the attention of everyone else. "He wants us to kill each other over them. The reason why we don't have our own videos is so that we are tempted to kill whoever has ours in their possession."

"But is this video really that bad?" Korekiyo quietly posed a question. "It is simply a video that, well, talks about the most important person in someone else's life. I can hardly imagine this becoming a tool for such hatred to occur."

I shook my head. "I don't think it's as simple as that." Everyone turned towards me with patience, waiting for me to continue. "These videos describe someone important to us, right? But what if that person has something to do with our private lives? Our past? Perhaps they're a part of something we want to keep a secret from others. That's why someone who has something to hide might want to get their hands on their video as soon as possible."

"A-Ah, I never thought of it that way," Kaede gasped at the thought.

"Yes, that's what I wanted to say." Kiibo nodded in agreement with my words. "As long as we don't exchange them, we don't have to know who had our motives and what they are, to begin with. I think it's safer that way for all of us."

"So, it's better just to ignore them...?" Himiko drawled in boredom. "Okay, I got it. I'll just leave it inside my drawer or something and lock it so no one can use it."

"That actually sounds like a great idea!" Angie beamed at the thought. "Maybe I'll do that too!"

"I'm against it." Ryoma frowned. "I think we have a right to know what's being used against us."

"What's wrong with you?" Kaito narrowed his eyes, suspicion laced in their gleam. "You were saying that you didn't plan on surviving before, so what's the point of seeing these videos? It might not matter to you if you get killed or not, but we're different! We all want to live!"

"And? What's that have to do with my video?" Ryoma retorted back, raising his voice slightly in frustration.

"As I said, it'll cause a lot of trouble for us if you end up killing someone over it—" Kiibo repeated, but Ryoma wasn't taking 'no' for an answer.

"But I won't. I don't have a will to live, sure. And I definitely won't kill someone to leave here," Ryoma reassured. "I see no problem with me seeing my own video."

"You're acting strange today, Ryoma. A little more talkative than usual, huh?" I found myself blurting out loud. That immediately caught his attention as he turned towards me with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Perhaps...you're the one who has something to hide?" I narrowed my eyes at him, daring him to answer to my suspicions.

"Hmph, _you're_ the one even more strange. It's unlike you to be so bluntly suspicious at someone else. You're the type of person to secretly doubt others without telling anyone because you're not a fan of conflict. So what happened to you, huh?" Ryoma spatted back out. It was uncharacteristically childish of him. "I think it's you who has something to hide."

A part of me was reminded of the guilt I felt when I turned on Kokichi's motive video. My eyebrows twitched in anger as I opened my mouth to retort.

"Nishishi, my, you're really pushing the limits today, Ryoma!" Kokichi's voice snapped me out of my anger. He was staring at Ryoma with a knowing glint in his eyes. "But it's fine. We all have those days where nothing just ever goes your way~."

"What are you trying to say, brat?" Ryoma was no longer hiding that fury of his as he openly growled at Kokichi in distaste. "You're the biggest mystery around here. You seem to be the one who has the most to hide."

"Nishishi, I won't deny that." Kokichi brushed Ryoma's off-handed comment away. "Anyway, I feel the same way as you."

"Are you...trying to cause trouble again?" Kiibo's accusation felt like deja-vu because of the sheer amount of times Kokichi had been leading us around in circles with his mischief and lies.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Kokichi started, pasting on that fake pitiful look of his. "I'm not saying we shouldn't care about killing or dying, but I think it'd be better if we didn't cooperate so obviously like this, you know?"

"...What do you mean by that?" Shuichi asked, though there was no distaste or malice behind his words. The boy was just genuinely curious about Kokichi's opinion, unlike everyone else who seemed to be on their guard with him around.

"We shouldn't cooperate? Why not?!" Tenko screamed, sweat rolling down her face.

"Well, just think back to all of Monokuma's actions so far!" Kokichi glanced up at the ceiling as if he were expecting Monokuma to float down from it. "Whenever we tried to work together, Monokuma would retaliate with a plan to make us suffer. It happened when Kaede wanted us to cooperate, and again with these motive videos, right?"

Kokichi paused for a moment before he smirked. "Which means, the more we try to cooperate, the more he'll try to make us suffer."

"...To be honest, that does make sense." Shuichi scrunched his eyebrows up in a thoughtful manner. "Although your methods are kind of hard to understand."

"Well, I had no choice but to screw with you guys because you just wouldn't get it." Kokichi shrugged nonchalantly. "You ingrates didn't even notice!" The insult slipped out of his mouth and caused everyone else to stare at him with contempt.

"Maybe it's that sour mouth of yours that causes everyone to disbelieve you," Rantaro snorted.

"Hm, well, the end justifies the means!" Kokichi commented carelessly without thought, but I knew best that he truly meant it in a terrifying way.

"But how do we know you're not lying to us right _now_?" Shuichi pressed.

Kokichi appeared to be completely unperturbed by Shuichi's question as he continued to smile, but my trained eyes knew better than to believe things at first glance. _Especially_ when it came to the biggest and best liar on the planet. The slight pause he took before answering said everything about his true feelings, but nobody seemed to catch it. "...Whether I'm lying or not, what I'm saying is still valid and true."

Shuichi went quiet, drowning in a pool of his own pessimistic thoughts. Kokichi's opinion may seem like a child's mischievous plan to destroy our friendship with each other, but there was no denying that there was some truth to his words.

"Anyway, I think we should just all do our own thing! Just warning you guys for all your sakes~" Kokichi ended his sentence with his signature chime. "Let's just exchange our motive videos instead of cooperating with each other."

"I cannot comprehend that train of thought..." Kiibo was sweating profusely in anxiety.

"Well, now that I've said I wouldn't cooperate, I can't afford to be seen with you losers," Kokichi chimed before he turned his head towards Gonta. "So, let's go, Gonta!"

Gonta blinked. "...What?"

"Oh, did you forget?" Kokichi pouted as he treaded over towards Gonta. "We promised to think of a way to get everyone to exchange their motive videos, remember?" Kokichi playfully wiggled his eyebrows. He didn't wait for Gonta to reply as he spun on his heels, heading out the exit.

Gonta just sputtered before he ran after Kokichi in a panic. "W-Wait did Gonta make such a promise?!"

"Can't you tell it was just a lie?" Kaede sweatdropped as he watched Gonta disappear out the doorway.

Kaito scoffed, clenching his fists tightly in annoyance. "Quit screwing around. For our sake? Yeah, right. I've had it with his lies."

"...Guess we're done here. I'm leaving." Maki didn't wait for anyone to notice her as she quietly slipped out of the room.

"I'm out too." Ryoma didn't bother with a proper salutation and strolled out the exit.

"Hold up, Ryoma." Kaito's sudden statement made Ryoma halt mid-way out the door. "Don't forget. We all are trying our best to survive here...so don't get in our way." Kaito's words were casually stated, but there was an underlying hostile tone in his words.

Ryoma laughed dryly. "I've got no intention of getting in your way. I'd never do something so uncool." He walked out brazenly without the bat of an eye.

"Our cooperation is the number one factor in our suffering, is it?" Korekiyo mumbled to himself, deep in thought. "Kehehe, I wonder how this will turn out? I will observe with great interest..." He ignored the disgusted look everyone else was shooting him as he chuckled to himself while leaving the room.

"Well, guess I'll leave, take a shit, and go make some random invention. Also, come here for your maintenance, Kiibo. See ya, losers!" Miu cackled in delight as she skipped out the door.

Kiibo groaned, back slumping as he limped out the door after Miu's steps. "God...another maintenance..." He grumbled.

"...Nyeh, I still have to prepare that new magic move of mine." Himiko was already dragging her feet out the door.

"H-Hey, wait up!" Tenko yelled as she frantically scrambled after Himiko's steps.

"Nyahaha, guess I'll go join them too!" Angie practically danced out of the dining hall.

That left Shuichi, Kaede, Rantaro, Kaito, and I to stand knee-deep in silence and awkwardness. I was compelled to follow after Kokichi and get rid of the guilty feelings within me, but before that, I felt the need to say something.

"...You know, can I say something?" I meekly spoke up.

"H-Huh? Oh, sure! What's up?" Kaede jolted out of a daze, smiling brightly at me. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh, no, I was just thinking..." I trailed off, rubbing the back of my neck in hesitance. "God, maybe I shouldn't say this." I was still stuck in a debate with myself, eyes looking at everything but the others in the room.

"It's fine. I don't think Kaito will be too mad at you," Rantaro reassured, placing his hand on my shoulder. I blinked, turning towards him in surprise that he understood what I was having trouble saying.

"What? Me?" Kaito blinked rapidly. He turned towards me, and I visibly winced. It was painfully apparent that I was somewhat afraid of him. That was all it took for Kaito to frown, eyes whirling with guilt. "Wait, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You were quite angry back there, Kaito." Shuichi shot Kaito a knowing look. "Perhaps a little too heated," Shuichi scolded.

"Yeah! How could you scare poor Shirayuki like this?!" Kaede placed her hands on her hips, eying Kaito with criticism.

Kaito sighed heavily, scratching his head furiously with both hands. "ARGH! I KNOW! I'm just annoyed with everything right now. Can't help it, man."

"Um, so can I...?" I quietly asked for permission again.

Rantaro only chuckled. "This is really unlike you to be so shy like this. You should be as outspoken as usual, even if it's a delicate subject."

"...Right," I sighed as well, clapping my hands over my cheeks. "Okay, I'm ready to speak."

"Uh, okay?" Kaito was staring at me with confusion, while Kaede and Shuichi patiently waited.

"This is my honest opinion, okay?" I started slowly, eyes gauging their reactions as I carried on. "I think you guys aren't wrong about cooperating. Of course, it's in our best interest to cooperate so that no murders would occur."

"Well yeah, that was the idea." Kaito's eyebrows arched in confusion. "What's wrong with that?"

"No, see, there's nothing wrong with that idea. It's just...you have a very forceful way of saying it," I found myself confessing honestly. "We know that cooperation is the best action to take, but our situation makes it hard to do so."

"I know, but if we all agree with each other and work together, we can get out of here alive! I'm sure of it!" Kaede added, pumping up her fists to make her point.

"See? You're doing it again." I frowned and shook my head.

"What? What did we do?" Kaito blinked, genuinely confused.

"You can't just force your opinion on us like that. We know it's the best course of action, but you have to try and understand things from _our_ point of view too," I found myself launching into a full-blown lecture. "It's easy for you guys because you're naturally trusting and optimistic. You guys were blessed with the ability to stay confident and forward-looking, even in the toughest times...but not all of us can be like you."

Kaede and Kaito froze stiff, understanding the implications of my words.

"It's not like we don't agree with you guys. We're just having a hard time doing so," I continued. "I'm sure Ryoma and Kokichi have their own thoughts and ideas. None of us truly want to die, including them. They have their priorities and their own beliefs. I think it's okay for you guys to state your opinion so strongly, but I think it's wrong to dismiss everyone else for not agreeing with your side."

Kaede and Kaito were silently pondering over my words. It was clear that my words were making sense.

"Everyone's afraid and scared. Trusting someone who's practically a stranger isn't as easy as you think. Things aren't as simple. Some of us may have lived stressful lives that require them to lie to themselves and others." A certain purple-head immediately popped up inside my head as I spoke. "Perhaps some of us went through some trauma that made them unable to have a fighting spirit."

"I...never thought of it that way..." Kaede trailed off, eyes unfocused as she took in my words.

"What I'm saying is, everyone has something they're hiding. Everyone has secrets. Everyone has things they don't want to say, including how they're afraid and anxious. After all, no one wants others to know their weakness, right?" I trailed off, ending my speech.

No one uttered a single word as I finished talking. We just stood there in absolute silence, each thinking things over in their head. I felt a load leaving my chest as I finally conveyed what I wanted to all along. Rantaro patted my back lightly, a kind gesture that reassured me how everything would be okay — that my message was delivered correctly to them.

To all our surprise, it was Shuichi who broke the silence.

"I think...I really understand what Shirayuki's saying," Shuichi softly spoke.

"Shuichi...?" Kaede glanced at Shuichi with concern in her eyes.

Shuichi was staring at his open palms, shoulders slightly shivering. "There are things that other people can't understand. Things like your true fears. Like how I'm always afraid of confronting the truth, even though it's the right thing to do." Nobody interrupted him, knowing that this was a very fragile and special part of him that he was confessing to us. "But I was able to move past that fear because I had Kaede."

Kaede was practically swooning at Shuichi's words, much to my amusement.

"I think if we all come to an understanding, things will definitely be okay." Shuichi looked up, gripping his own palms tightly with resolution. "It takes time, but if we slowly try to understand each other, we'll get out of here alive. All together."

Kaito flashed Shuichi a smile. "Now that's my sidekick, alright!" Kaito gave a hearty laugh as he launched himself at Shuichi, wrapping his arm around Shuichi's neck in a playful manner. "Man, that was an amazing speech!"

Kaede was clapping, smiling brightly at Shuichi with pride in her eyes. "I knew you could do it!"

"Uh, what about my speech?!" I openly gaped. "I really tried hard to get my point across, you know?" I sounded almost like a whiny brat, asking for attention. Rantaro just laughed and slapped my back hard. I yelped as I stumbled forward. Turning my head around, I shot him a dirty glare. "What the hell was that for?!"

Rantaro shrugged. "Nothing. Just felt like it."

I scowled. "Oh, right. You totally hit someone in the back because you _feel_ like it."

Rantaro smiled. "Well, I did want to give you a shove in the right direction."

I raised a curious eyebrow. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you still have one more confession to make, right?" Rantaro's words were like a knife to my heart.

I openly gaped at him. "How the hell do you know everything that's going through my mind?!"

He shrugged, a lop-sided grin on his face. "I think it's pretty obvious. Everything shows on your face when you're troubled over something. Now, go on and get everything off your chest." He gave me another push towards the exit.

"Okay, I get it, I get it! Don't push me, damn it!" I scrambled towards the door, turning around to shoot him a glare. "I'll pay you back for all this one day."

Rantaro just smiled innocently as usual. "Why, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Hey, Shirayuki!" Kaito yelled out from behind. "Thanks for everything." He flashed me a thumbs up. "I think you opened my eyes up. I'm going to try and become more understanding now!"

I smiled back. "It's nothing. Try your best, Kaito!" I gave a carefree wave before I disappeared out the door.

I leaned against the door for a minute, listening to the cheerful bantering going on inside the dining hall. I laughed to myself at their playful conversation. Really, leave it to them to lift up my mood.

Steeling my resolve, I took in a deep breath before I stomped off towards my destination.

 **~~O~~**

"Well, that's about it! See you later tonight, Gonta~" Kokichi gave a cheery wave outside his door as he watched Gonta disappear into his own room. "...Hopefully, everything will work out well in the end." Kokichi muttered to himself, this time more solemnly than he preferred.

Closing his door shut, he sighed loudly, feeling anxiety leave his chest. Kokichi was most comfortable when he was left alone to move how he wished. Gatherings like in the morning were not to his liking at all. He preferred to have privacy, and being forced to argue with everyone else was not what he called 'fun'. Well, to be more exact, nobody was forcing him to argue with them, but it was just in his nature to do so.

It didn't matter, as long as he was doing it for everyone— no, his own sake.

"Guess I have to start organizing my plans." Kokichi headed over towards his desk to start working on his plans, grabbing a pencil...

 _ ***Knock Knock***_

Kokichi blinked, spinning his head towards the door in confusion. He was not expecting any visitors, not after the stunt he pulled earlier in the morning. And that meant only one thing. He took in a sharp intake of breath. There was only one person who had the guts to confront him after everything thus far, and it was the only person he did _not_ want to see at all cost.

Of course, Kokichi ignored it.

 _*Knock Knock Knock*_

The thumping sounds on his door softened, much to his appreciation. He could sense from the awkward and discordant intervals of knocking that the person outside his door was having trouble themselves visiting him.

Still, he shut his ears and eyes, praying to the gods above that they would leave. But again, the harsh reminder came that there was no use for prayers in the Ultimate Academy.

 ** _*BANG BANG BANG*_**

He sweatdropped, sighing out loud, back slumping forward as his arms hung loosely towards the ground. Kokichi was having a severe explosion of deja vu, remembering that something like this had happened before and he knew how badly that went.

Resigning himself to fate, he clicked his tongue in annoyance, treading over towards the door. With another dejected sigh, he swung the door open and saw that his suspicion was spot-on.

Of course, it was her, standing there in all her glory.

"...What's up, Shiro-chan?" He found himself lazily speaking up. Today had proved to be tiring for him, and he wanted nothing more than to escape into his room and sleep for the rest of the day until his plans would come to fruition. But it seemed fate had other plans for him.

Dark purple orbs stared blankly at the girl in front of him, who was fidgeting nervously with her fingers. Her eyes darted all over the place, mouth twitching in discomfort as she chewed over her own words. He arched an impatient eyebrow at her peculiar actions. "Out with it now, Shiro-chan~ I don't have time for this, you know?" He decided to come off as slightly playful, hoping that it would de-stress whatever it was that was getting on her nerves.

Shirayuki gulped before she slowly opened her mouth to speak. Kokichi was expecting something like a scolding. Perhaps a warning about his antics earlier. Maybe something again about how lies weren't good for him. He knew the drill well enough. And he thought he was prepared for anything that came out of her mouth.

Oh boy, was he proved wrong.

"I...I..." Shirayuki's throat seemed to squeeze as the words were stuck inside of her. Nevertheless, she took a deep breath and quickly spoke, raising her voice slightly from anxiety. "I...I have a confession to make!"

Kokichi was someone hard to surprise. He was calculating, quite evil, and very cunning. He predicted many things before they occurred. He was good at reading others. He was the one who usually caught others off-guard.

But this?

 _What the actual **fuck**?_

For the first time in his life, Kokichi's brain actually short-circuited so badly he felt like he'd blown a fuse somewhere — perhaps a nerve or blood vessel popped. Who the hell knew at this point?

He always knew that Shirayuki was someone he had to watch, for that girl was way too smart for her own good. She already caught him off-guard plenty of times ever since they met.

Still. What. Was. Going. On?

Despite being stuck in a dilemma of his own, Kokichi knew at least one thing. And it was clear as day: that this girl was going to become his undoing someday. She had _no_ idea what she was doing to him.

And really, he had no idea too what she was doing to him.

Kokichi thought to himself as he continued to stare blankly at the girl who was now a flushing red mess, babbling incoherently in front of him.

 _Damn._ _The things you do to me, Shiro-chan._

 **~~O~~**

"W-Wait, that was not what I meant!"

I didn't have to look in a mirror to know that my face was probably as red as a baboon's peachy butt right now. Leave it to me to fuck up my own words so badly. I really wanted to blame Rantaro, because he was the one who explicitly used the word 'confession' when all I wanted to do was talk to him about the Kubs Pad in my possession. But then again, it was sort of like a confession of guilt. Just not _that_ kind of confession. Not the kind that it seemed like to him, and really, even to myself after hearing it out loud.

Kokichi was staring at me blankly, although his eyes were shining with hints of amusement.

"L-Look, I wasn't going to confess to you or anything— wait I am, but no no no not what you're thinking!" I continued to ramble on and on with excuses that only made me look more guilty.

It was only after a whole minute of me spouting incoherently that Kokichi started to smirk — no scratch that, his grin was pure shark. "My, I think this is a first. I didn't know you enjoyed my company this much, Shiro-chan!"

I choked on thin air, gawking at him with a horrified, flaming face, cheeks dusted in pink. "I-I, as I said, that wasn't what I, uh, ARGHHH!" I screamed, ruffling my hair in frustration.

"Wow, does my existence stress you out that badly?" Kokichi feigned a hurtful look, but it was evident that he was mocking me outright. "If I kept my distance away from you, would you die from loneliness instead, though?"

"Oh, you little brat!" My threat was way too light for Kokichi to be offended. "You know that wasn't what I meant!" I pointed a finger at him, glaring at him through teary eyes of embarrassment.

Kokichi shrugged. "I don't know, Shiro-chan. Who knows what's going on inside that little head of yours?" Kokichi then gasped, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Perhaps you've imagined a lot of things in your head this whole time?!"

I could hardly feel my jaws drop to the floor as I was filled with horror at the thought. "NO! STOP IT!" I let loose an undignified shriek as I pretty much pleaded him to stop. "I WAS AN IDIOT! IT WAS MY FAULT!"

Kokichi was now laughing out loud, tears spilling from those childish orbs of his. "Ahahahaha! I can't, Shiro-chan!"

My eyes were still teary as I shot a furious glare at him, partially from anger and partially from humiliation. "You know exactly what I mean, so stop doing that thing!"

"What thing?" Kokichi feigned innocence, though it was clear that he was still stifling a laugh with his face all funny looking.

"That, uh, that thing! That way of speaking! Those innuendos!" I sputtered out, feeling the mortification overwhelming me. "Just stop it..." I groaned as I covered my face with my hands, sinking to the ground.

There was a warm hand on top of my head, caressing gently. "Now, now. Sorry, I didn't mean to tease you this badly. But really, you make it so easy, you know?"

I didn't even need to lift my head to know that he was still sporting that playful smirk of his. "S-Shut up..." I found the volume of my voice shrinking even more as I felt dejected at my clumsiness. "Why do I always mess up when it matters the most...?!"

"Nishishi, because you're clumsy!" Kokichi just bluntly stabbed me in the heart with his words.

"Urgh..." I opened my mouth to retort, only to realize that there was nothing that could help me prove him wrong, especially after what I just did. "Okay, whatever, forget everything. Can I go in now? I have to... _tell_ you something." I cautiously switched my words.

Kokichi still had that amused smirk on his face. "Oh, so we're escalating this inside my room? My, aren't you bold!"

"STOP. IT. NOW. KOKICHI."

"Nishishi, okay! Whatever you say, Shiro-chan~."

I gave a loud groan of exasperation as I was pulled inside his room. The door clicked shut with a thud behind me. Kokichi casually strolled halfway inside his room and jumped on top of his bed. He turned around to face me, cross-legged on the bed, patting the spot next to him. "Come here, Shiro-chan!"

"...You know, I'm starting to think you're calling a pet instead." I accused, but I found my feet walking over to him anyway. With a plop, I comfortably sat on top of his bed.

"So, what was it that you wanted to tell me so badly you had to come up with that lame-ass excuse?" Kokichi brought up my mistake again.

I whipped my head towards him and scowled. "I thought I told you to stop bringing it up."

"Well, it made my day," Kokichi replied with a shrug. "So, again, what did you want to tell me?"

"...To be honest, I don't know how to break it to you because I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff here," I honestly spoke out my feelings. "But I feel like if I didn't tell you this now and you found out later, it'd be even worst."

Kokichi was quiet for a moment as he glanced over towards me. It took him only about five seconds before that familiar knowing glint was in his eyes again. "Oh, I see." Kokichi was staring at me now with realization. "You got mine, right? The motive video?"

"...Yeah." I nodded curtly, staring at my own hands. I didn't want to know whether he was seething in anger, or already planning my murder, so I stayed silent, fiddling with my fingers.

Surprisingly, he broke the silence soon enough. "Well, that makes it easier for me too. Saves me the trouble of searching!" Kokichi chuckled cheerfully as if he wasn't disturbed by the thought at all, but I knew better than to assume that.

"Uh, if it makes you feel better, I didn't watch it," I added as an afterthought.

That immediately caught Kokichi's attention. He raised a genuinely curious eyebrow. "And why didn't you watch it?"

"Because I thought it'd be a breach of our...well...unsaid contract...?" I trailed off, unsure of how to convey it to him. "I don't think this is how you wanted me to find out about you. Besides, I'd rather hear it from your mouth. You know, everything."

Kokichi was staring thoughtfully at me. I only waited patiently for his reply, preparing myself for any repercussions. That was why the smile on his face only irked me more because he had no reason to be doing so. His gaze softened for a split second. Perhaps it was just my imagination, who knows? But there was no sense of hostility.

Kokichi suddenly laughed softly. I glanced towards him, staring in confusion. Then, he sighed, shooting me a resigned look. "This is exactly why I like you, Shiro-chan."

There was no denying how my heart skipped a beat at his words, but my pride didn't allow me to react offhandedly. "Are you teasing me again for what I said earlier?" I feigned ignorance, pushing down that mushy feeling that was rising inside of me.

He ignored my question and continued on. "Because you don't act on your emotions. You think things through with logic and act accordingly. You're not afraid to hurt others to figure out the truth. Whether it was about the murder or me, you always carefully think things through and plunge ahead for the truth. And you don't need a lot of time to do that either. Somehow, you just know what the right thing to do is."

"...You've lost me." I shook my head lightly, not understanding what he was getting at.

"Truthfully, you wanted to watch that video, didn't you?" He suddenly accused, making my blood cold as the warm feeling inside of me dissipated immediately. "Don't worry. I won't get angry at you. It's obvious because you do want to know the truth, right?"

"Uh, I mean...you're not wrong. I was curious. _Am_ curious. But still, this isn't how I wanted it to be," I replied.

"And you knew it wasn't how I wanted it to be either." Kokichi shifted his position until he was facing me directly. "Which is why I want to thank you for that."

"You're acting very unbefitting of yourself today, Kokichi." I found myself spouting a random excuse, anything to get myself away from this awkward feeling that was still growing inside of me.

"Nishishi, well you started it, Shiro-chan!" Kokichi was back to his usual mischievous self.

There was a part of me that was glad the discomfort was no more. But there was also a part of me who felt disappointed — and that was what scared me the most.

"Anyway, this really made things easier for me. Oh, of course, because I don't need to search for you, but there's also another reason!" Kokichi suddenly jumped off his bed and headed over towards his drawer. I watched in curiosity as he searched inside it and finally, after a long minute, fished something out.

He headed back towards the bed until he was standing in front of me. Then, with an innocent grin, he shoved the object into my hands. "Here! It's an exchange!"

I blinked rapidly, my brain not keeping up with the new piece of information given to me. I glanced down to my hand and saw a very familiar-looking rainbow pad. It was at that moment that I realized. My mouth was gaping wide again as I gawked up at him, flabbergasted. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

"Nishishi, I wish I was because this is a cruel twist of fate, but that is exactly what you think it is!" Kokichi snickered. "It's the one and only Ultimate Figure Skater's motive video!"

"That fucking bear swapped our motive videos?! The heck for?!" I yelled out loud to no one in particular.

"Oh, by the way, I haven't watched it yet either!" Kokichi chuckled at my obvious surprise. "I like to keep the fun later! Besides, I highly doubt you actually have anything to hide."

I rolled my eyes, scoffing. "Well, not everyone's a mysterious, secretive crime lord like you," I spatted out with a glare.

"Well, now we're partners in crime!" Kokichi announced. "After all that talk about not sharing our motive videos, we literally just did." Kokichi froze for a moment. "Well, actually, we didn't watch them, but meh, it's the same thing." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Doesn't matter. To be honest, I was on your side, to begin with," I frowned. "I think it's better if we just share everything like this, although it's going to be hard to do that with everyone being so scared of each other."

"What would you do, then?" Kokichi suddenly asked. There was something like excitement in his eyes, which I was unsure about because there was literally nothing amusing about this conversation.

"Uh, you mean, what I would do in this situation?" I repeated.

Kokichi nodded enthusiastically, waiting impatiently for my answer.

I stayed quiet for a bit as I thought up an idea. "Well, if it were me, I'd just round everyone up and exchange their motive videos. True, there's a risk involved since everyone will know who had their motive, but I think that's actually better for us. If we all just openly declare whose motives we had, then any potential culprits will have to be careful, because they'll be the first one to be suspected if whoever had their motive video ends up dying."

Kokichi's eyes lit up at my answer.

"Ah, but I guess that's still risky because a culprit could literally just not care about their own death and still kill someone anyway. You know the saying: taking the secret to their grave," I whirled my index finger around to make my point. "So in the end, people are still going to be skeptical about the idea. I guess you'll have to force them in the end?" I trailed off, unsure of my idea.

I turned towards Kokichi for confirmation, only to end up staring blankly at him. "Wait, why are you grinning so widely?"

Kokichi's smirk was extremely foreboding, filling me with a sense of unease. "Nishishi, I knew it. You're the _best_."

Needless to say, I would come to know exactly what he meant a few hours later in what I would soon be calling **hell**.


	18. Chapter 17: Red Herrings

**A/N:** Uh, I feel like I've been doing this a lot but sorry for being late on an update again. I got sick for three weeks after vacation and couldn't bring myself to type anything much on the hospital bed lol. To make up for everything, this chapter is quite long and uh wordy. Hopefully, you guys will be happy with that!

Anyway, do pay attention to **everything** that's happening in this chapter! It might help you for, you know, the upcoming trial? I don't know if I did well enough for my first murder case ever, but I hope you'll enjoy how everything unfolds this and next chapter!

* * *

 **[Chapter 17: Red Herrings]**

"So, they're preparing for a magic show tomorrow?" I blinked rapidly, creasing my brows in confusion. "Why all of a sudden?"

I left Kokichi's room after promising to meet him at the Ultimate Entomologist's Lab at 8 p.m. He never really gave me a proper explanation as to why my presence was mandatory, but then again, when did he _ever_ explain anything truthfully?

Soon after, I was caught by Tenko who happened to be strolling across the courtyard and without even a moment of breath, I was being dragged off by the collar towards the Ultimate Magician's Lab. Apparently, Himiko and Angie needed help but had no one else to ask.

 _Yeah, right. More like everyone else just brushed you guys off._

I glanced around the room, taking in the glass tank, piranhas, and burning cauldron in the center. Snorting out loud, I shook my head in exasperation. "Now _this_ looks like a recipe for disaster."

Tenko only sighed, head drooping in exhaustion. "I'm not sure what's going on either. All of a sudden, Angie wanted Himiko to put on a magic show."

"Is that even allowed?" I frowned, humming in thought. "A magic show doesn't seem like something Monokuma would allow."

Tenko shrugged. "He didn't seem to mind the idea when Angie asked for permission earlier. I guess he doesn't really care as long as there's something entertaining going on. He said he was bored waiting for a murder to occur, so the idea of holding a magic show actually pleased him."

I dryly laughed. "That does sound like something Monokuma would say." I sighed heavily and placed my hands on my hips. "So? What am I supposed to help with?" I waved my hand around in the air aimlessly. "Should I carry things over to the gym or...?" I trailed off, giving a pointed look at Tenko.

"Oh, I think we can start by moving the glass tank and piranhas into the gym." Tenko jerked her head towards the tank. Then, she grimaced, visibly shuddering. "I still don't know why she wants the piranhas there, but as long as Himiko says so, I'll do it!"

"Okay, I get the idea. I have a question though..." I turned my gaze towards the meditating duo in the corner of the room. My face scrunched up into one of disgust. "What the _hell_ are they doing over there?"

In an empty corner of the room, Himiko was sitting next to Angie on the floor with her legs crossed. They were holding hands with their eyes closed, a serene and peaceful look on their face. Angie was smiling brightly as usual. There was nothing surprising there. Himiko, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear and _that_ was anything but normalcy.

"Oh...that..." Tenko's tone suddenly dropped, her gaze turning icy as she glared at Angie with bitter hatred. "Angie converted Himiko into an Atua follower," she spatted out the words with blatant contempt and disdain.

My jaws dropped as I squawked at Tenko. "W-What?!" I gasped out loud in pure shock. "How the hell did that happen?!"

"I don't know!" Tenko scratched her head furiously in annoyance. "Yesterday, Himiko was making some potion to gain mana. She found some weeds in the courtyard and was mixing them with some sort of white powder. She said it had a side effect of making someone possibly hallucinate—" Tenko abruptly paused, frozen stiff. With an awkward expression hanging on her face, she gauged my reaction meekly while fidgeting with her fingers.

I stared blankly at her, dumbfounded.

 _What the **fuck** did she just say?_

As much as I felt the urge to ask for clarification, some things were just better left unknown in this world. I was already having a headache dealing with the flashlight memories and the motive videos. Now, a friend's dealing with _illegal_ stuff?

 _To be fair, this whole situation is nothing short of illegal..._

I managed to force myself to unlock and waved a hand, gesturing for her to continue despite the ridiculous situation she was describing. "You know what? I'm just going to pretend I never heard that..." I groaned, rubbing my face with my hands. "Just...put me out of my misery."

The grave resignation in my voice made Tenko nod with an apologetic smile. "Uh, yeah, sorry about that. Anyway, today, I came in here to help Himiko with her show and this is basically what I came walking into." She pointed her thumb in Angie and Himiko's direction. Although she tried to hide it, the underlying hostility was poorly concealed with the way her eyes were burning with scorching fury.

"...What are you going to do about it?" I spoke out, eyes softening at Tenko's protective instincts.

Tenko jolted, eyes widening. "Why are you asking me that?" Her lips slightly trembled as if she was caught redhanded at a crime scene.

I stared right into her eyes, giving her a knowing look. "You're not going to leave Himiko like that, are you?" It wasn't anything accusatory. It was more like a rhetorical question because we both knew the answer was plainly in sight.

Reaching out my hands, I grabbed Tenko's shoulders and pulled her in closer. She stumbled a few steps forward with a yelp, eyes in disarray and panic. With a quick glance at Angie and Himiko, I noticed that Angie's smile seemed tighter than before. Narrowing my eyes in suspicion, I lowered my voice into a harsh whisper. "I'm sure you know this is Angie's way of calming Himiko down, but it's quite the toxic method."

Tenko gritted her teeth. Then she whispered back as quietly as she could. "Yeah, I know. She said she wants us all to consider living peacefully together here. That way, no murders will occur."

I internally swore. Angie's decision was quite predictable. Despite our attempt at escaping, so far, no one had found a single clue. Someone was bound to throw in the white flag eventually. After all, who would want to risk the death of a classmate when they had the choice of living comfortably within the cage?

But of course, I disagreed entirely with that train of thought. If we gave up on escaping, we would be playing right into Monokuma's hands. Not to mention, there was no guarantee that Monokuma wouldn't pose another time limit, just to rile things up.

And we all know how _that_ went the first time around.

It caused a domino effect of **despair**.

"You know that's just giving up on living, right?" I scowled and clicked my tongue in annoyance. "Because they're afraid, they want to stop thinking. No one wants to make a risky decision so they're just choosing to run away from it all."

Tenko clenched her fists. She cast a glance downwards, eyes brimming with sorrow and helplessness. "Of course, I know that. I don't think we should give up either. But..." Her shaky voice trailed off. Tenko chewed on her lips while in an internal debate whether to come clean with her deepest concerns.

It appeared that her genuine love and care for Himiko won. Tenko straightened her back as a wistful emotion passed over her eyes. "Himiko...she's...I don't think she's strong enough to take this situation in."

I pinched the bridge of my nose before sighing out loud. "So that's why she's always so...disconnected with the world."

Tenko turned her head to look at Himiko, her eyes watering. "Perhaps that's why she always says she doesn't really care about anything that's going on."

"Because sometimes, it hurts more to care, huh?" I muttered, mostly to myself.

It wasn't intentional, but Kokichi's face popped up inside of my head. Those words were meant for Tenko, but it holds meaning for my situation too. Before I knew it, Kokichi had integrated himself into my life and what a _mess_ he had caused. In all honesty, he created much more confusion and trouble than all he was worth—

 _But he's worth it, right...?_

If it were someone else's motive video that fell into my ready hands, I'd have no trouble at all pressing the play button and watching till the very end. That was probably the most logical thing to do. Whoever holds more information has more advantage in a battle, after all. Besides, it was necessary to know everyone's hidden secrets for us to move forward with trust.

But I didn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to do the most logical thing in this life-threatening situation.

I trusted him way too much for comfort, and it was _killing_ me inside. This stupid _game_ we were playing had no real benefits. It was only another challenging task on the bucket-list and yet I went along with it anyways—

 _But he went along with it too, right...?_

Kokichi was **not** a man to be trusted. That much was evident to everyone in the whole goddamn place, but little old me.

He was the biggest liar in the entire planet. His acting skills were Oscar-worthy, and hardly anything that came flying out of his mouth could be taken at face value.

The guy was the epitome of lies. Even if I had spotted him vulnerable and open at times, there was no telling whether it was merely another one of his many facets. There were times when we argued and times when we wanted nothing to do with the other.

But like how the moon needs the sun, there were times where we couldn't help but meet in the center of it all.

Kokichi was someone who taught me the rules of survival: to always be on guard and cautious regardless of friend or foe. He treated me with kindness and yet pushed me away when it was my turn to reciprocate. No matter how close I feel we've become, there was always an invisible barrier between us, as if we were continually treading cautiously along the line because who knows what will happen when it all comes crashing down?

They say curiosity kills the cat. Perhaps that was my fate after coming this far. He may be the most confusing asshole on the planet, but it was my heart that chose to stay next to him, as much as I didn't want to admit it.

No, it must simply be curiosity. There was no other explanation for this maddening decision of mine.

 _You better not make me regret this, Kokichi. Whatever you're hiding, it better be worth the trouble in the end b_ _ecause I sure as hell never want to feel this conflicted about anyone else again._

"You should say something to her." The words flew out of my mouth on auto-pilot before I could stop it. Tenko just shifted her gaze back at me with confusion whirling in those teary orbs of hers. I thought back again to everything that I had experienced with Kokichi.

A strange emotion seized me, but my eyes still shone with clarity in them that could pierce anything. "If you don't believe in her, who will? Besides, she's worth it, right?"

Tenko's eyes widened with realization and she broke out into a shining grin of confidence and understanding. With a thankful nod, she turned around to face Angie and Himiko with determination. She made no effort to pick up our conversation...

But that was fine by me. After all, words were useless past a certain point.

With a small, concealed smile, I turned my back towards them and headed over to the equipment area.

 **~~O~~**

"Why, this is quite the surprise. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

As usual, Rantaro settled for minding his own business inside his own room, pondering about everything that had occurred thus far. He figured that he wouldn't be getting any visitors after the courageous (or perhaps foolish) stunt Shirayuki and he pulled in front of everyone the day before. Why would they, after he basically announced that he was the mastermind in front of everyone? Of course, he wasn't, but any further explanations would be viewed as excuses anyway.

And thus he chose to keep quiet, shutting himself inside his room like a hermit. Well, that is, until someone bravely rang his doorbell.

Rantaro debated whether to let the intruder in, knowing that there was a high possibility someone was out to kill him. But being the kind-hearted gentleman he was, he opened the door regardless of the consequences.

Old _habits_ die hard, after all.

"You know, I've always thought this, but that pretty boy smile of yours reeks of a sham," Ryoma snorted with a roll of his eyes.

Well, that was _**not**_ who he thought he'd see. Never in his wildest dreams would he even think Ryoma, of all people, would be knocking on his door mid-day for no reason— right, there's definitely a reason for this alarming visit.

If Shirayuki told him it was raining spaghetti and meatballs, he would've believed her in an instant. Even that was more probable than the Ultimate Tennis Pro standing idly in front of his eyes.

"That's not the first time I've heard that." Rantaro recovered from the initial shock and managed to spit out a reply. "I get that a lot on the contrary."

"No shit." Ryoma scoffed this time. "You seem fake at times. You don't have to act princely all the time, you know?"

Rantaro jerked his head back in surprise. He blinked rapidly before a wry smile appeared on his face. He leaned his shoulder against the door and crossed his arms, staring at Ryoma with amusement. "Certainly, you didn't come here to give me a lecture, did you?"

Ryoma stared blankly at him before shooting a look of disgust. "I don't have time for idle talk," he grimaced at the thought. "Of course I didn't come here to lecture you."

"Oh, good, because I highly doubt you're one to teach others about social etiquette," Rantaro bluntly retorted as if he were talking about the weather with a broad, innocent grin on his face.

Ryoma's brows shot up in poorly concealed amazement as he smirked. "Now that's more like it. I prefer your snarky attitude over that gentleman act of yours any day."

Rantaro only closed his eyes, grin still kept in place. "So, why have you come to visit me? I'm sure you of all people are aware of the... _dangers_ that come with meeting me alone." His tone dropped, emphasizing the implications of his words. There was a mysterious glint in his eyes when he opened them to stare at Ryoma.

Ryoma gave him a pointed look, utterly unfazed by the underlying threat hidden in Rantaro's words. "Have you forgotten that I don't want to live anyway? I don't mind if you stab me here right now, though you'd be the one in trouble if u murder me in the open like this." He glanced around the premise and frowned. "Then again, no one seems to be here so this could be your best chance—"

"Don't be stupid. I'd never kill you." Rantaro's burning gaze, as he spoke out in a chilling voice filled with conviction, made Ryoma falter for a bit.

A wave of silence flew over them. It wasn't anything antagonistic. In fact, it was quite pleasant. Ryoma briefly glanced up and down Rantaro's figure with a dissecting vision, searching for any signs of tension. There were no lines on Rantaro's forehead and his shoulders weren't clamped up.

Rantaro was being truthful.

With a satisfied hum, Ryoma tilted his beanie down to cover his eyes. His lips contorted into a soft smile. "Hmph. Sorry about that. It was rude of me to suggest that."

Rantaro's jaw dropped in a stupor. "Wait, you seriously believe me?"

"I do. Why? You don't believe me?" Ryoma shot the question back at Rantaro with a smirk on his face.

Rantaro stared at Ryoma for a second before he broke out into a resigned fit of laughter. "No...I guess I'm not really in the position to be disbelieving others, aren't I?" He then sighed before he genuinely smiled at Ryoma. "So, what are you really here for?"

"...There's something I need from you." Ryoma huffed, crossing his arms stoically.

Rantaro paused, shifting his eyes to the ceiling in thought. Then, realization dawned on him and he immediately frowned. "Ah, I think I know what you're on about. However, I must ask, how did you know?"

"I wasn't a hundred percent sure, but I did ask a few others. Let's just say that I have quite good intuition."

"Ah, now that you mention it, you did win pretty big at the casino the other day."

"So, what's the call? Are you going to..." Ryoma trailed off, staring blankly at Rantaro.

Without even hesitating, Rantaro gave his reply. "I will. One condition, though. I'm coming with you."

Ryoma's brows shot up for the umpteenth time that day. "And why should I?"

Rantaro gave a sly smirk back. "Do you have a choice?"

Ryoma snorted, though he broke out into a satisfied smirk of his own. "Hmph. You're really quite the interesting one."

"And so are you." Rantaro grinned before he headed back into his room. "Meet you at your lab in five."

 **~~O~~**

Kaito Momota was bored to death and that was an understatement. He was never good at using his brains, and he wasn't one to think or ponder too much. It was just too much of a hassle. In all honesty, it was a dick move, but he decided to leave all the dirty work to Shuichi, his trusted sidekick.

Albeit his boredom, he had to admit that Shirayuki's words from before were still ringing in the back of his mind. Was he too pushy with his ideals? His friends back when he was taking the astronaut exam did say that he was never good at reading the mood. There must be some truth in their teasing remarks. After all, Shirayuki wasn't the type to lecture someone outright like that unless she was seriously pissed off.

But the more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. Of course, he understood her words perfectly. It was just...he couldn't control his actions most of the time. Kaito was an extremely emotional person and his mouth flapped faster than his brain would comprehend.

The next time someone asked him what his Ultimate talent was, he considered replying that he was the Ultimate Verbal Diarrhea.

Kaito visibly winced at the thought as he walked down the stairs to the basement. Shuichi had disappeared somewhere and Kaede was nowhere to be found. Maybe the two of them were together. They did seem to be pretty close lately, leaving Kaito with nothing to do.

So, he decided to play a few games in the arcade. Initially, he wandered off towards the casino but hell no, he wasn't going to gamble _ever_ again. Not after that humiliating loss of his. He could imagine that annoying brat with his stupid smirk, mocking him with that cheery, childish voice of his.

Kaito resisted the urge to punch the wall at the thought. God, that gnome really knew how to press the limits of his patience — not that he ever had any to begin with.

He rounded past the corner, heading towards the gaming room. He placed his hands on the door and slid it open—

"ACK!"

A hand shot out from within, forcefully yanking him inside the room by the collar. Without warning, he was spun around; back slammed against the wall. He choked, tears pricking his eyes as the air was knocked out of him. The door slid shut with a loud bang. The hand squeezed hard on his neck and Kaito coughed for air, scraping his nails against the assailant's hands.

 _Shit, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to—_

 **"Where is it?"** The authoritative and murderous tone of his attacker made him halt his movements.

His pupils shook against the dim light of the room. His blurry eyesight slowly cleared as the assailant slightly released their grip on his neck. Kaito rapidly blinked the tears away.

He felt the blood rush out of him as soon as he recognized the assailant's face.

"I-It's you—"

"Don't make me repeat, myself. Where is it?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!"

The grip on his neck tightened and he flailed in panic.

"OKAY, WAIT! C-CALM DOWN! L-LET'S TALK FIRST—"

"...Fine. But you better tell me everything you know."

The hand left his neck and Kaito slid down against the wall in a coughing fit as he scrambled for air. With slightly moist eyes, he shot a disgusted glare at his attacker. "Okay, so why did you try to kill me out of the blue?!"

"Do you really not know? I know you know."

Kaito went silent. His eyes widened. "W-Wait, how did you—"

"I broke into everyone's room."

Kaito sputtered at the confession. "W-WHAT?!"

"Screw the details. Just tell me what you know now and I'll make this less painful for you."

Kaito whimpered. His forehead glistened with sweat. "D-Don't tell me you're talking about—"

"I'll make your death less painful if you confess to me everything that you know."

"OKAY FINE, JUST PUT YOUR HAND DOWN. GEEZ." Kaito thrashed about on the floor, waving his hands all over in exasperation. "Can't we talk nicely? I don't know, like, over a cup of coffee or something?"

"...What?"

"How about we exercise—"

"I see you don't want to talk."

"OH, I'M TALKING. I'M GOING TO TALK, SO JUST GET AWAY FROM ME FOR A SECOND. HOLY ATUA, SAVE ME—"

 **~~O~~**

When Korekiyo walked towards the Dining Hall, there was the sound of laughter.

It was the kind of laughter that made you sick inside, that crawled up your spine and made you want to turn your skin out. It was the kind of cackle you often hear in fairytales from evil witches or mages that planned to take over the world. He was less than eager to pop his head inside the said room, but his stomach was rumbling six point eight on the Richter scale and he needed to silence it as soon as possible before he'd end up being the victim of accidental suicide.

 _(God bless my soul),_ Korekiyo thought grimly as he mustered up the courage to enter.

"OH, YOU ARE SUCH A GOOD BOY~" Miu drooled as her face morphed into one of ecstasy. She absentmindedly rubbed Kiibo's back with a delicate touch. "YOUR SKIN IS SO SMOOTH~"

"M-M-MIU, DON'T TOUCH ME LIKE THAT!" Kiibo flailed his arms in pure horror.

"AW, DON'T BE SHY! COME OVER HERE AND LET ME MAKE YOU ALL SHINY AGAIN~" Miu squealed in delight as she threw her body onto Kiibo.

"A-Ah, where are you touching—" Kiibo was screaming, crocodile tears Kokichi-style rolling down his eye ducts.

"J-JUST LET ME TAKE A QUICK LOOKIE, OKAY~" Miu was laughing nonstop with a maniac-glint in her eyes. "I-I'LL BE GENTLE."

"U-Um, please, let me go—" Kiibo suddenly snapped his head towards Korekiyo's direction. He smiled widely in relief, reaching his hands out towards Korekiyo. "Ah, K-Korekiyo! Please help me!"

Korekiyo backed out and slammed the door shut. He paused, blinking rapidly. Kiibo's screams for help died out in vain and the entire hall echoed with the horrendous sound of Miu guffawing like no tomorrow.

Korekiyo resisted the urge to facepalm and instead, placed his hands together in a praying motion. "May Kiibo rest in peace. Amen." He bowed his head slightly.

Then, he spun around without looking back, heading towards the Monomono machine instead for an afternoon snack.

 **~~O~~**

"S-So, how was it?" Kaede's face was twitching uncontrollably, sweat glistening on her forehead. Her eyes darted around the room, unsure where to focus on. Wherever they landed, she made sure it wasn't at the person standing awe-struck next to the piano.

Shuichi's eyes were slightly damp from the emotional rollercoaster that he had experienced. From the first note, his heart was prancing, twisting and turning and doing somersaults and just running hours per kilometer— wait no, kilometers per hour. He wasn't sure how to explain what he had felt, but he was confident that it was way more magical than whatever Himiko was going to show them tomorrow.

"...Kaede?"

The said girl jolted in her seat. Her mouth hung open, lips trembling as she stammered out a reply. "Y-Yeah?"

There was a moment of silence as Shuichi ran over the words in his head. What could he say to make Kaede understand his feelings? He was never good at conveying his emotions. Heck, he didn't even have a single friend until now. In the end, he figured honesty was the way to go.

"That...was magical."

 _(Wow, smooth, Shuichi. Smooth as butter),_ Shuichi internally screamed in protest at his own level of cheesiness.

Despite his worries, Kaede seemed to understand his intentions. All the anxiety was blown away by Shuichi's words and she beamed in genuine happiness and joy. "Thanks a lot, Shuichi! This was the song I told you all about, Claire de Lune! Isn't it so pretty?"

"Uh, yeah. It's very...magical."

If someone came barging into the room with a gun, Shuichi would beg them to shoot him first because _god_ was he a total embarrassment—

"I know, right?! It's so calm and soothing for our nerves. I bet the moonlight must have been so stunning when Debussy wrote this piece." Kaede was openly swooning now, her love for the piano as clear as day. "It's my favorite song!"

"I don't listen to music much, but I must say, it was very pleasant to listen to." Shuichi cleared his throat once, internally cheering himself on as he chose his next words more carefully. "You played it very well, Kaede. It was truly great."

Kaede rolled her eyes. "What are you, my teacher?" She lightly jabbed Shuichi in the stomach, a teasing smile on her face. "You're not a man of words, are you?"

Shuichi flinched and shook his head. His head drooped down in disappointment and humiliation. "I-I'm sorry..."

Kaede blinked before she frowned. "Oh, no. I didn't mean to scold you. I really feel glad that you enjoyed my performance."

Shuichi lifted his head up slightly, eyes brimming with hope. "R-Really?" He whimpered as he twitched with his fingers in anxiety.

Kaede watched Shuichi's diminishing confidence and felt the urge to hug him, but that would be way too awkward and sudden. She settled for a pat on the head instead. "It's true! Why would I ever lie to you?" Her smile was radiant like the sun and Shuichi felt himself falling heads over heels with it.

But he stopped himself short of going any further with his feelings.

 _(No, I can't. I don't...I don't deserve this...)_

"Thank you, Kaede. For being there for me always," Shuichi quietly uttered under his breath.

Kaede blinked twice before he tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Huh? Did you say something?"

Shuichi looked at her right in the eye and gave a weak, but reassuring smile. "No. It's nothing. Can you...play it again?"

That was all it took for Kaede to smile that ten-thousand-watt smile of hers. "Of course! I have a whole repertoire to choose from. Do you prefer songs like Claire de Lune? Maybe I'll play Liszt's Liebestraum for you. How about something jazzy like Rhapsody in Blue? I guess I can play Chopin's Nocturne for you. Surely, you've heard of that before. It plays everywhere from the malls to the hotels and—"

Kaede continued chatting Shuichi up with so much happiness and innocence in her. Shuichi felt his cold heart melt at her kindness and love. For a second, he thought that he was truly comfortable, being here next to Kaede.

But he knew better than to lose himself in the temporary warmth that Kaede provided him with.

He felt his heart clench, his guts twisting painfully as he watched Kaede break out into another lovely performance.

 _(I'm sorry, Kaede. I genuinely love your performance. But it's not fun to have fun when you **don't** want to have fun...)_

The skeletons in his head were dancing the night away as he closed his eyes shut tight, his vision fading from white to black.

 **~~O~~**

"Oh, hello! Is something matter?" Gonta beamed as someone walked into his lab. "Gonta having fun with insects. Tonight is going to be great like Kokichi said!"

The newcomer raised an eyebrow in confusion but a bright smile of their own quickly replaced the surprise. "What is happening tonight?"

"Oh, Gonta and Kokichi prepared to showcase bugs to everyone! Kokichi said if everyone saw them first-handed, then everyone will come to love them more!" Gonta was humming a cheery tune as he twirled around his lab. "Gonta want everyone to like insects too! They are Gonta's best friends!"

"Oh, I see! Well, maybe I'll join tonight too!"

Gonta turned to meet the figure's excited gaze. "R-Really?!" Gonta gushed. "G-Gonta so happy! Then I'll come and get you tonight—"

They waved a hand, brushing his statement off. "Nah, it's okay! I'll go there on my own!"

"Alright then," Gonta nodded in understanding. He clapped his hands together and slightly bowed his head. "Thank you so much! Gonta want to repay you somehow, but Gonta not sure what to do..."

Immediately, the figure's smile went rigid. Their eyes were twinkling mischievously as the cogs started to fit inside their head.

"Hm~ there is something you can help me with though," they started. "But you can't tell anyone about this, okay?"

"Of course! Telling secret is not like a gentleman at all!" Gonta nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay, well I need you to..."

.

.

.

.

.

"H-Huh?" Gonta stammered as sweat poured down his face. "B-But that's not gentlemanly at all! And everyone agreed to—"

"It'll be fine, trust me! This is for everyone's good!"

"R-Really?" The skepticism disappeared from Gonta's voice.

"Yep! If you follow what I said, you'll be doing everyone a great favor."

Gonta paused for a split second before he nodded, face filled with determination. "Okay! Then Gonta will do as you said!"

The figure had a satisfied smile plastered on their face, but internally, it was more like a wry smirk. Gokuhara Gonta was truly pitiful. His kind-hearted nature and less than stellar mind would inevitably end up being his downfall one day.

But that was none of their business. Really, they couldn't care less. Not when they had their own ass to worry about.

 **~~O~~**

"Hm? Is that you, Tenko?" Angie's voice didn't betray any signs of hostility but the air that permeated the Dining Hall was tense nevertheless. She crossed her arms and stared right into Tenko's eyes, the annoyance now poorly concealed in those raging orbs. "I'm pretty sure I told Himiko earlier that I was coming to eat dinner while you helped her with the preparations, so why are you here before me?"

Tenko was never one to be easily intimidated. She was a fighter, a warrior, and of course, an aikido master. There was no reason to be afraid of the seething artist in front of her. She shrugged nonchalantly, knowing that it would only tick off Angie more, but civility be _damned._ The hatred was mutual and they both knew it. "I was hungry so I left to eat. Why, am I not allowed to be here in your presence?"

Angie's eyes dangerously narrowed. "...No. It's fine." She settled for a brusque reply instead of lashing out in anger because a catfight with an aikido master was most certainly not on her agenda for a pleasant evening.

"Wait." Tenko abruptly shifted her body in front of Angie's. Angie slammed herself onto Tenko shoulder's, wincing from the sudden movement. She shot a disgusted glare at Tenko, who promptly chose to ignore it. "I need to talk to you about something."

"I don't really want to hear it. Can I listen to you after I eat?" Angie smiled innocently at Tenko, though her burning gaze gave her true intentions away. "Atua tells me I need a break so I'd appreciate it if you don't interrupt me now, okay?"

"Leave Himiko alone." It was a short and blunt demand, straight to the point, but the impact and sheer intensity in Tenko's glare sent Angie recoiling backward in surprise. What happened to the passive aggressiveness from earlier?

"Nyahaha, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Angie feigned ignorance, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"Himiko's a strong girl. She doesn't need anyone to sugar-coat the situation for her." Tenko advanced on, striding confidently into Angie's personal space, making Angie back away even further into the wall. "We're not going to succumb to Monokuma's plans. We're going to leave here _alive_."

Angie seemed torn whether to laugh or be flaming mad at Tenko's declaration. She settled for shoving Tenko away from her instead with her hands. "Nyahaha, that's a funny joke, Tenko! We all know by now that there's no way we're leaving here in one piece. The only thing we can do is stay safe within these walls!"

"That's where you're wrong, Angie." Tenko shook her head in disagreement. "We have a choice. We always have a choice to fight, but you're cowering away instead."

It was like a switch had been flicked. The air suddenly crackled with Angie's ire, the menace almost a tangible entity coiling around the two. "You don't know anything about me!" Angie lashed back out in pure anger for the first time since she had been taken to the academy. "Why don't you open your eyes and see the reality?! We're stuck in this situation because we can't leave! So what's wrong with indulging in the comfort and safety that this place actually provides us instead?!"

Tenko scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Safety? This is not a safe haven for anyone, Angie. You're the one that needs to open their eyes up to reality!" Her tone was that of a mother scolding their child for wrongdoing. "I know you're scared— heck, everyone's scared! But we can't turn our eyes away from the harsh reality in front of us! The moment we run away, we're doomed!"

"You don't understand. Not everyone can be that strong." Angie refused to listen, her fury only increasing tenfolds as her eyes started to turn red. Her voice was shaking uncontrollably. "Atua will save me. It's the only option that I know!"

Before Tenko could stop her, Angie threw herself against Tenko, shoving Tenko to the ground with a loud thud. Tenko groaned, rubbing the back of her head on the ground as she heard footsteps thundering away towards the exit. She gasped, whipping her head around to find Angie sprinting out the door.

"No, wait!"

 **~~O~~**

The mystery had been solved, and the treasure was finally in her hands. Maki stared blankly down at the empty screen in her hands, clutching it so tightly she wouldn't be surprised if it actually shattered right then and there.

But who cares? If only it wasn't against the dumb rules, she would have destroyed the evidence as soon as possible. This was one thing she couldn't let leak out. It would destroy her, not that she wanted to befriend any of the idiots here, to begin with.

Nevertheless, if her identity was revealed to the world, it would cause trouble for the kids back at home.

And that was the only thing she could **NEVER** allow. No matter what she had to do, she would protect it: the only place she could call home.

So far, things were looking good. She had the damning evidence in her hands, and it was safe from everyone. There was one glaring problem: the person that handed it to her must have seen it beforehand.

The cogs in her mind were already turning, flipping through the memories of her past crimes and selecting quick, discreet methods to silence witnesses. And that brought her to the second problem: if someone died, they would have to go through that annoying class trial again with her own life at stake.

Was she prepared to take risks?

 _(So be it),_ Maki steeled her resolve.

And so she stood there guarding her lab like an iron fortress, hawk eyes scanning the premises for her prey. She needed to think of a masterful plan. There was no time to waste. She had to act, sooner or later.

Maki was an exemplary assassin, and her work was always perfect with no traces left behind. Surely, she could do the same here.

 _(I'll act tomorrow...just you wait...)_ Maki's eyes glinted dangerously against the moonlight that cast a haunting gleam on her daunting figure.

 **~~O~~**

"Himiko~" Angie chimed in a bright and cheery persona as she pranced inside the gym.

"Nyeh?" Himiko poked her head out from behind the glass tank. "That was fast. How was dinner?"

"Oh, it was great!" Angie beamed. She then casually strolled over towards Himiko, eyes shining with love and sincerity. "How are the preparations going? I know that tomorrow is going to be an amazing day!"

"...I don't know," Himiko's voice quivered. She was visibly shaking, her hat drooping down to over her eyes as she shifted her gaze downwards. "I-I'm getting kind of nervous about everything."

Angie's gaze softened. She patted Himiko gently on the shoulder before pulling her into a warm and fuzzy embrace. Himiko shifted slightly in Angie's embrace but made no move to push her away. Angie plopped her head onto Himiko's shoulder, snuggling into the comfort of Himiko's smaller, twitching form. "It's okay, Himiko. Everything's going to be okay. Just forget everything! That way, you'll be much happier..."

"Nyeh?" Himiko blinked. She glanced towards her friend, confusion lingering in her eyes. "What are you talking about Angie?"

"Oh, nothing!" Angie backed away from Himiko, the million-dollar, innocent grin still plastered on her face. "I don't want you to worry too much. It's okay to be weak at times. No one is going to blame you for running away!"

Himiko only stared blankly at Angie. "But I want to be stronger."

It was like a bombshell being dropped onto her face. Nothing could have ever prepared her for this moment. Angie's expression froze stiff. "...Sorry, what did you just say?" Her tone dropped a notch in terms of volume and intensity. There was a hollow and distant effect to her voice that made Himiko shudder unconsciously from the cold look that Angie was giving her.

"I...I want to grow stronger." Himiko took a large gulp of air from anxiety but continued to relay her honest opinion. "I want my magic show to make everyone smile. I want to boost everyone's morale so that we can...work together again."

Angie's eyes were twitching uncontrollably. "I-I see. But why have you never mentioned this to me? Actually, everyone thinks you really don't care about the situation that's going on."

"I don't want to care." Himiko frowned while fidgeting with her thumbs. "To be honest, I don't trust anyone here other than you and Tenko." Himiko then lifted her head up, meeting Angie's darkening gaze. "Which is why I'm going to trust in myself and get out of here alive. I'm going to find a way to save both you and Tenko, don't worry."

"B-But we can just stay here and live comfortably, can't we? It's safe if we follow the rules! I know! You can perform magic shows for me every day! I'll always be watching you so—" Angie was rambling nonstop, her throat clenching and suffocating her.

Himiko shook her head violently, eyes blazing with confidence. "But that's not what you _really_ want to do, right?"

Her words were like a knife to Angie's heart. Just like that, Himiko broke through Angie's facade like no one had ever done before. Angie felt her soul being ripped to shreds, the darkness consuming her alive. Under Himiko's scrutinizing gaze, all Angie wanted to do was reverse time and pretend that this talk had never happened, that Himiko was still the weak girl relying on her comfort and—

 _You're the one that needs to open their eyes up to reality!_

Something inside of Angie stirred after recalling Tenko's words.

 _(...So be it),_ Angie internally said to herself, steeling her resolve.

"...Okay, Himiko. I understand you." Angie broke out into a mysterious smile. It was unlike anything that Himiko had seen before. Himiko paused, eyes widening, her instincts telling her to backpedal and escape as far as possible from the girl in front of her— "I'll protect you, Himiko. You're safe in my hands."

This time, it was Himiko who felt something crumbling inside of her. There was no going back from this point onwards, and she knew it. She had shattered something, and it was unrepairable. Nothing could repair their trust anymore.

Everything had broken apart, but what scared her more was the fact that she did not regret a single thing.

 **~~O~~**

"Let me get this straight. You're telling me that you lied when you said you wanted to hang out with me at the Ultimate Entomologist's lab and that you actually have a secret agenda under your belt that somehow involves me?" I pinched my forehead, resisting the urge to scream in exasperation at the smiling purple-head in front of me.

"Nishishi, you got that right! But weren't you already suspecting that I was up to no good?" Kokichi raised an eyebrow as we walked alongside each other, hand in hand, towards the lab.

"Uh, well I did have my suspicions." I lazily glanced up at the skies, watching the stars above. "You never told me what you were up to, so I figured you just didn't want me to know."

"So you gave up on finding the truth?" Kokichi pouted, his tone somewhat disappointed at my lack of enthusiasm. "Lately, you're not really chasing after my lies anymore. It's getting kind of boring~" He drawled while swinging his arm back and forth in large strides. "Put up more of a challenge, will you?"

My eyes flickered down towards our entwined hands. "Why the hell are we holding hands again?"

For some reason, as soon as he spotted me heading towards the Ultimate Entomologist's lab as scheduled, he pranced over and grabbed my hands, forcefully tugging me next to him. There was no reason for me to break the contact, but at the same time, there was also no reason to keep it. The question had been burning in the back of my mind, and it chose to come flying out of my mouth now at this moment.

"Don't change the subject, Shiro-chan."

"No, seriously. Why the _fuck_ are we holding hands, walking through the courtyard in the middle of the night alone and chatting about random topics when we have better things to do?"

"Why, are you uncomfortable?"

"Um, not really, but...this is like...we're..."

"On a night date?" Kokichi waggled his eyebrows with a suggestive smirk hanging on his lips as he finished my sentence for me.

Boom. Explosion. Fire. That's what it was. Face redder than a tomato, eyes burning, steam rising from the top of my head, cheeks flaring, nose rosy, mouth gaping wide at the sheer audacity of the man beside me to even suggest such a thing. "N-Not that! I was thinking of something else! Yeah, like I don't know, uh, a mother walking their kid home after school or something!"

Kokichi paused in his step and turned his face to meet mine. His gaze was knowing and blank at the same time. "Are you serious? Look at your own face. Also, that was the most unsexy thing you've said so far this evening— no, make that ever."

Holy flaming bison bells, Kokichi was really bringing on his game tonight and as much as it was disturbing, there was also a warm flurry passing through me but _hell no_ was I going to admit that to him. "Y-You're acting really weird tonight. Are you trying to trick me into doing something for you? Stop it with the flirtatious act!"

My mouth was flapping again, but the embarrassment made my words lack bite and it was obvious to the both of us that I was only putting up a false bravado.

Kokichi flashed a wolfish grin. "I know you don't hate it when I'm like this. Don't lie to yourself and just admit it. You enjoy my company more than normalcy dictates."

"Says you of all people!" I snapped back, cheeks still burning like no tomorrow. "I mean, you're not wrong, but still!" I glared at him. "I'm not going to play along to your stupid romantic whims. Go use it on someone else who will actually fall for that sort of thing. Yeah, go to Miu instead."

Kokichi jerked his head back, the grimace and disgust so vividly clear on his face that it made my heart hurt for Miu. "God, don't even suggest that ever again. Just thinking about it gives me the creeps." He shook his head violently as if chasing the image out of his head.

I rolled my eyes, calming myself down. "Well, you started all this first. Not my problem."

Kokichi hummed in acknowledgment. "True. Jokes aside though, I'm just holding your hand so you don't run away from me."

That got an entirely different reaction out of me. I was completely dumbfounded at the suggestion and halted my steps immediately. I stood still, mind and body frozen stiff. Kokichi seemed to catch my drift and came to a stop, slightly in front of me. He turned around to face me, waiting patiently for my mind to keep up with the situation.

 _Run away? Is that..._

As much as Kokichi was an annoying brat who loved to pull mischief on everyone he met, he was never one to resort to violence or force. Sure, his intentions were not always those of a model citizen, but he never intended to harm anyone of his own accord.

At least, the Kokichi that I had come to know so far would never force someone to follow his orders. He was someone who enjoyed the adrenaline and thrill that came with pulling those that _didn't_ listen to him into his games.

 _But what he said just now..._

He assumed that I was going to run away. That was something he had _never_ implied before. Which then released up to a hundred possibilities that never once crossed my mind before until now. My mind was running on auto-pilot, scrambling to come up with an explanation for Kokichi's actions and they were _not_ looking pretty.

For the first time since I had met him, it had only finally sunk in that yes, he could actually kill me if he wanted to and it would be _so_ easy for him to break me, especially after coaxing me this far into the comforts of his lies.

And with that one revelation, my world came crashing down.

As if standing on the tracks ahead of an oncoming train, I could only stare helplessly as the person that I thought was my best friend turned into my executioner.

"Shiro-chan."

 _He's going to hurt me— no, he wouldn't, would he? But he said I was going to run away, which means he knows it's something that could bring me harm. Why now? Why now of all times? When I'm about to open my heart to you, you pull this shit and now I can't trust you again— wait, since when did I actually come to trust you? Kokichi, why—_

"Shiro-chan!"

I jolted out of a daze as the grip on my hand tightened. My hands were shaking and I realized then that I was trembling non-stop at the thought that Kokichi might have actually decided to kill me.

"I-I..." My face blanched as the raw fear and hurt overwhelmed me.

 _Since when was I so afraid of being betrayed by you...?_

"Shh, not a word, Shiro-chan." Kokichi was rubbing circles on my palm, putting pressure in the right areas to calm my nerves down. His eyes softened as he took in my shaken appearance. "That's not what I meant when I said you might run away."

"H-Huh?" I blinked, realizing that my eyes were somewhat damp.

"It's a joke. A prank. I'm not taking you into a warehouse to kill you, Shiro-chan." Kokichi's tone was filled to the brim with sincerity and genuine concern that it made my heart ache from the guilt that I thought he would betray me.

But the fear was still there, lurking in the shadows and it wasn't easy to erase the scars once the damage had been done.

"Oh, of course not!" My mouth was babbling again out of the heightened fear and tension because leave it to me to change the goddamn subject. "You wouldn't kill me now! Why didn't I think of that before?" I yanked my hand away from his grip and threw my hands into the air dramatically with a roll of my eyes. "If you did, everyone would know immediately it was you! It's as simple as Colonel Mustard did it in the Kitchen with the Candlestick—"

"You brought this onto yourself, you know?" Kokichi's words were suddenly devoid of emotion and it made me shut my mouth immediately.

My eyes widened as I stared awestruck at Kokichi. "I-I'm sorry? What?"

He sighed, ruffling the back of his head roughly with his hands in annoyance. "I never asked you to trust me. It was a decision made on your part." He glanced off to the side, eyes arctic, cold, and unforgiving.

That was all it took before a surge of anger rushed over me. I was no longer trembling in fear; my eyes were blazing with fury as I stared daggers into his eyes. "Okay, fine. It was all my fault. But what about you?" My words were scorching, ruthless, pricking at his weakness and self-awareness. I was playing with fire and I knew it. Kokichi was a genius and if he wanted to pin my death on someone else, he probably could.

But fuck logic, some things just have to be said.

"Underneath your many faces, I know better than anyone here who you really are inside." I spatted on, voice slightly shaking from the emotional roller coaster he was putting me through. "Out of everyone here, I'm your closest bet to whatever trust is to you."

There was rage simmering beneath the surface but Kokichi concealed it well enough, just like the master of lies he was.

"You say I chose to trust you? Well, I know you trust me to an extent too, which is why we're having this argument, to begin with..." I trailed off, knowing where my own words were leading me.

An awkward silence followed as we stood there in silence, the tension still ringing in the air like a fire alarm.

"...And?" Kokichi scoffed. He waved his hand sarcastically, biting back the cruel words that were threatening to slip out in response to my actions. "Carry on. What were you going to say next?"

All the rage disappeared into thin air. What was left was the gnawing guilt that was killing me from the inside. Biting my lips, I forced the words out of my mouth, head drooping slightly in a small bow.

"Sorry." I paused, blinking the warm tears away from my eyes.

Kokichi only stared at me, an unknown emotion whirling in his softening gaze.

I clenched my fists hard. My voice was trembling again, but this time not from fear. "I...I guess I didn't trust you as much as I thought I did." The words slowly drifted out of my parted lips.

Kokichi closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "That's the wise thing to do. Your reaction was just delayed. That should've been your first thought since the first time we met and it should've stayed that way."

"I-I'm sorry," I apologized again, not knowing what else to say to convey my guilt. "As much as the thought of you betraying me hurt, I also hurt you too in the process. I really do trust you, Kokichi. I really do."

Kokichi quietly listened to me, taking in my words.

"B-But I don't know what came over me. The thought that you'd _kill_ me just entered my head and it all just went downhill from there—"

"It's fine. I get it."

"H-Huh?" I reared my head up to meet his pointed gaze.

"I said it just now, didn't I?" Kokichi took a step closer to me, which made me instinctively slide my feet back. "Not a single word or explanation needed. I understand you."

I was still jittery and jumpy from the panic, and it was only harder to control myself when he barged inside my comfort zone brazenly with no hesitation. But I forced my feet to stay still, allowing him to stand right in front of me. Our faces were mere inches apart, his bright purple orbs shining with understanding. His warm breath, a huge contrast to the winter look he previously had on, sent phantom whispers across my skin.

This was the closest we had ever been distance-wise.

 _And perhaps emotionally too..._

"The feeling is mutual," Kokichi whispered the words out in a soft voice as the wind picked up, caressing our frames.

My eyes widened imperceptibly. _Mutual? What is?_ But the intensity of his gaze was too much, quelling my courage to ask for clarification. It burned with a fire that I could not completely understand and I wondered if Kokichi actually had any more idea than I did.

But intuitively, I knew. We trusted each other way more than normalcy dictated. Trust is something that goes both ways and as much as it hurt me to consider the idea of Kokichi betraying me, surely, it was the same for him. It was brutally killing the both of us inside to admit that despite the insanity of it all, it was something that just seemed... _ **right**_. Like it was meant to be this way.

 _Like there was something else that compelled us to accept each other that could never be put into words._

It was a risk worth taking.

 _The feeling is mutual, huh?_

"...Let's go." I broke his gaze and turned my head towards the Ultimate Entomologist Lab. "We're really going off schedule."

Kokichi seemed to hesitate for a split second before he nodded in agreement, his usual playful grin back on his face as if nothing had occurred. "Nishishi, okay! Oh, you're going to love the trick I'm pulling on everyone today~"

I followed after his tracks, listening to the cheery tune that he was humming underneath his breath. The world was back to its usual tranquility. Staring at his reassuring back in front of me, I could only feel myself falling deeper into his trap.

But little did we both know that there was a bigger, more dangerous, life-threatening pitfall awaiting us when the dawn breaks and there was nothing we could do to stop it. After all, there is no dawn that doesn't break.


	19. Chapter 18: Ignorance isn't Bliss

**A/N:** Happy holidays, everyone! As a heads up, the next update will be coming around March in a few months or so due to university and work in general. Hopefully, you'll all still be hanging around till then! Thank you for the new follows, favs, and reviews! I'm always checking for comments so feel free to give out criticism or say anything else that concerns you!

Also, there have been a few pm's about fanart. Of course, I don't mind at all! In fact, I'd be happy to see all your lovely artwork. It makes me really happy to see all your comments and interest in my story. Thanks a lot!

* * *

 **[Chapter 18 - Ignorance isn't Bliss]**

"What the hell is going on?"

"Like I said, we're having a party!"

"...What?"

"Earth to Shiro-chan~ did you not hear me the first time? I said we're having a party!"

"...In here?"

"Let the Insect Meet and Greet commence!"

"...WHAT THE FUCK?"

Kokichi was always unpredictable. As much as he was a logical thinker during trials, outside of business, his thoughts were a trainwreck. Although I knew that already, nothing could've prepared me for this moment.

I stared at him like he had sprouted a second head. "No, seriously, what the fuck?!"

"Calm down, Shirayuki." Rantaro was standing eerily still in the corner of the cramped room. His smile was as bright and gentlemanly as ever, but only those with trained eyes could spot the underlying malice simmering beneath the surface. "Let's just listen to Kokichi's explanation first, shall we?"

Kokichi flinched under Rantaro's uncomfortable smile. "Aww, don't be so mad! I have a perfectly good reason for this, I swear!"

Tenko's eyes narrowed. "That's got to be one of your biggest lies yet."

"I cannot help but agree with that statement," Kiibo sighed, shaking his head in exhaustion. "And here I thought I would get to have a relaxing evening."

"Kekeke, yes, _relaxing_ being the keyword. Pray to tell me what kind of relaxation you are talking about?" Korekiyo's eyes flashed with curiosity. "Perhaps it is what I witnessed earlier today in the Dining Hall where Miu was all over you and—"

"NO, NOT THAT!" Steam drifted out from the top of Kiibo's head as he protested earnestly. "I SWEAR IT ISN'T THAT!"

Kaede only awkwardly chuckled. "I really don't want to know what happened there..."

"Me neither," Shuichi grimly agreed with a resigned look on his face.

"Kokichi," I turned towards him with my hands on my hips. I gave him the most intimidating glare I could muster up. "You better start explaining now, mister."

Kokichi only grinned back in response, brushing off my anger. "Now, now. We're still waiting for a few more people!"

As if on cue, the door slammed open. Gonta poked his head inside and smiled. "Ah! Everyone still here! That's good. Gonta, uh, found Angie!" He stepped through the door with Angie staggering behind him, face pale.

"Nyaha...hahaha...ha..." Angie groaned as she leaned against the doorframe. "That was...too much...exercise...nyahahaha!"

"Angie? I thought you were supposed to be helping Himiko now." I frowned. "We switched shifts, didn't we?"

"Well, that was the plan, but Gonta forcefully dragged me over here! I managed to hide Himiko behind our props in the gym, so she's still safe, though." Angie explained as she brushed the sweat off her forehead.

Tenko was chewing on her lips but refused to say anything. My eyebrows creased in confusion at her timid actions, but I decided to think nothing of it. Instead, I focused my attention back towards Angie.

"Uh, you just spilled the beans about Himiko's hiding place to us all, didn't you?" I sweatdropped. "Gonta's right in front of you, you know?"

Angie blinked rapidly. Then, she lightly bopped her head with her hand and flashed a sheepish look with her tongue hanging out. "Nyahahaha! Whoopsie Daisy! I made a mistake!"

"No, seriously! Don't make such an obvious mistake!" I groaned in exasperation. "Well, Himiko probably knows when to escape. Maybe she's safe inside her own room already."

"Not for long, though!" Kokichi suddenly chimed into the conversation, holding a few screwdrivers and forks in his hands. "Because I can just pick her lock open!" His eyes glinted mischievously, and I slapped him on the head on instinct.

"Can you not be a creep?" I chastised in annoyance. "Also, when are you going to explain to us what the hell is going on here?!"

"Well, we're basically here to appreciate the insects!" Kokichi tilted his head to the side innocently as he announced.

"Stop lying!" We all pointed our index finger at him, making Kokichi pout.

"Geez, at times like these, you guys are just soooo in harmony." Crocodile tears were dripping out of Kokichi's eyes as he sniffed. "W-Why is everyone so mean to be? I just wanted to be friends with everyone, so I brought you all here to hang out with me!"

"Kokichi, I swear to god, if you don't start talking truthfully, I'll shove your head into one of these tanks—" I started as I stomped furiously towards him with balled fists, ready to strike if the opportunity arose.

"Let's watch each other's motive videos!" My sentence was cut short at his sudden proclamation. "We're holding a screening party for everyone's motive videos~ oh, and yeah, the uh insect thing too."

Gonta nodded enthusiastically from the sideline, and one could only stare with envy at his ignorance towards the storm brewing in everyone's minds. Then again, his innocence was what landed him in the hot seat as Kokichi's sidekick to begin with.

"...W-What did you say?" Kaede was the first to break the tension in the air. "Do you know what you're even suggesting?!"

"Mhm, I do. That's why I suggested it!" Kokichi beamed.

"We can't do that! Don't you know what will happen if we do that?!" Kiibo immediately protested.

Kokichi frowned and tilted his head to the side in an innocent manner. "Um, everyone will know their motive, and a murder will be more likely to happen?" He leaned forward towards us and balled his fists in determination. "But I like to play on mean difficulty! Also, I don't run from an RPG battle. Ever. I want to win this game, so I won't run from it. I'll crush it!"

I internally sighed in exasperation at his words.

 _This guy just keeps mixing in the truth with the lies until no one can tell what's what anymore. I know you want to stop the Killing Game, but the way you're phrasing it makes it sound like you think people's lives are, in fact, a game to play with. Damn it, Kokichi!_

"...Are you saying your actions are in our best interest?" Shuichi pondered, gazing off to the side in deep thought.

Kokichi shrugged, brushing off everyone's hostile stares. "I warned you guys already. We shouldn't cooperate with each other." He trailed off, raising his pitch higher up a notch. "Plus, if I'm going to do this, then I gotta enjoy myself and just go all the way!" He cheered as he raised his hands into the air. "If the thought of playing a death game doesn't excite you, you'll never win. Understand?"

I facepalmed, my groan muffled under my own hand. _Somebody, stop him before he self-destructs from his own lies— oh wait, that's my job._

"Kokichi, have you ever heard about this thing called _tact_?" I sighed loudly. "You really need to brush up on your communication skills because everyone is missing your point."

"Shh, I'm talking, Shiro-chan," Kokichi shot me an annoyed glare. "What happened to you? You usually keep your lectures until we're alone."

I crossed my arms in defiance and shot back a glare that screamed, 'you happened, dick.' "Fine, do whatever you want. Get misunderstood for all I care."

Shuichi just glanced back and forth between Kokichi and me, confusion whirling in his eyes. "Uh, so what do you actually mean, Kokichi? Or Shirayuki can explain it in a way we can all understand."

"Oh, wow!" Kokichi pouted for the umpteenth time that evening. "You trust her words more than mine? That's not fair!"

"No shit sherlock," everyone deadpanned much to Kokichi's chagrin.

Although I felt kind of guilty watching Kokichi sulk, it honestly felt kind of rewarding. "In your face, Kokichi," I smirked.

He shot me a glare, but I knew there was no animosity behind those burning orbs of his. He knew he was in the wrong, after all. But being the untrusting idiot he was, I could only watch him crash and burn. No words could stop him from destroying himself, and I knew that more than anyone.

 _I can't stop you, but at least I'll be there when you fall._

"Anyway, I tried to warn you guys, you know," Kokichi changed the topic. "I told you that we shouldn't cooperate with each other. Plus, if I'm going to do this, I might as well go all the way! If the thought of playing a death game doesn't excite you, you'll never win! Understand?"

"That is quite the twisted view, Kokichi," Rantaro snapped, raising his voice. From the way Kokichi's eyes widened, it was obvious he was not expecting Rantaro to speak up. "Perhaps there's a better way for you to tell us to take things more seriously? For example, honestly telling us, we shouldn't work together so that the mastermind doesn't retaliate with harsher rules."

"Don't bother, Rantaro," I scoffed. "It'll just fall on deaf ears."

"Huh? I don't understand," Kaede frowned. "How is working together so bad for our situation? We can't get out of here if we don't all cooperate!"

"That's too naive, Kaede," I interjected. "The point is, showing that we're all a tight-knit community will only anger the mastermind more. If the game reaches a stand-still again, there's no telling what else they might do. Did you forget what happened with Tsumugi?"

Kaede shut her lips tight, contemplating my words.

"Then what are you suggesting we do?" Korekiyo asked, narrowing his eyes with suspicion. "Perhaps you're saying that Kokichi is in the right for holding this, uh, what did he call it, the insect meet and greet?"

"Well, his method's obviously shitty, but I believe he has the right intentions in mind," I explained with a shrug.

"Shiro-chan, don't—" Kokichi started, only for Rantaro to cut him off.

"Kokichi, for once, believe. Seriously," Rantaro softly said, his eyes crinkling with genuine worry this time. Almost pleading, really. "Trust in us for once."

"How can I when we don't even know if the mastermind's in our ranks right now?" Kokichi yelled back, uncharacteristically for once.

"Well, you also don't know if there _isn't_ the mastermind in our ranks, right?" I argued back.

"True, but everyone has an equal chance of being the mastermind," Kokichi glared. Although this was our usual banter, I couldn't help but visibly wince at the word 'equal.' "Everyone is possibly a deceptive betrayal, waiting to happen. I'd rather be safe than sorry, Shiro-chan."

Shuichi glanced back and forth between us, unsure what to do. The rest of the crew were also confused but chose to stay silent.

"Uh, guys? I don't know what's going on, but don't fight, please!" Kaede was the only one who jumped into the fight, but both Kokichi and I ignored her. This was our fight to settle, not hers.

"We're all scared too," I clenched my fists, staring down at the ground as my voice shook. "We had that whole thing with Tsumugi a few days ago. We all know that everything could've been a lie — that someone who we thought of like our friend could've been a phony fake this whole time." My head snapped up as I glared back at him with slightly dampened eyes. "But even so, I want to try to believe. Even if it's dangerous, I want to try and believe in everyone."

 _And I want to believe in you, Kokichi._ Though I didn't say it out loud, it was obvious from the way his eyes wavered that he understood the sentiment. But his hesitance was gone in a second like a fleeting dream, and Kokichi snorted out loud, eyes filled with disdain. "What are you, some third-rate protagonist from some RPG game? Anyway, I want to win this game, so I'll do what I have to."

He turned his attention back to Gonta and flashed a frolic smile. "Anyway, Gonta! Shall we get this party started? I'll be back in a second! Follow me after you're ready~" He hummed a cheery tune and skipped out the door.

"H-Hold on," I took a step after him, only to have Gonta block my way with his outstretched arm.

"Shirayuki, aren't you going to stay? The insect meet and greet about to start! Gonta so happy to share Gonta's friends with everyone!" Gonta nudged me back inside the room with his hands.

"O-Okay, okay, I get it! Just get it over with already..." I gave up on resisting after seeing the innocent and carefree expression on Gonta's face. Really, who could ever say no to such an angel like him?

"It's around 8 pm right now, but I'll be back before night-time in 2 hours! See you all later for the movie screening~" Kokichi popped his head inside the room once more, waving mischievously before he snuck out.

"Wait, so what on earth is going on?" Tenko scratched her head furiously in annoyance. "That brat never explained anything in the end!"

"Kehehe, he's just trying to trick us as usual. There is no need to pay him any attention," Korekiyo shrugged. "Let him be."

"Nyahaha, Kokichi is such an amusing and entertaining guy!" Angie spoke up. "Even Atua can't read his actions."

"So...what's about to happen, exactly?" Kiibo turned to Gonta with a frown. "This Insect Meet and Greet thing...what is it?"

"I'm assuming you mean to show us your insect friends?" Rantaro questioned.

Gonta nodded enthusiastically. "Mhm! Gonta want everyone to appreciate insects more! And that's why Gonta will let everyone have fun with them!"

"Uh...how do you plan on doing that...?" Shuichi nervously glanced around the room, a sense of dread pooling in his stomach.

"D-Don't tell me," Kaede stammered as she slid a few steps back towards the wall. "Y-You're going to—"

"Here we go!" Gonta suddenly yelled as he ran around, unlocking the cages.

My face went ashen as I watched the huge swarm of bugs flying all over the room. The specimens gave off the appearance of vigor and vitality, soaring around at lightning speed. With the exit locked and blocked by Gonta, all we could do was sprint around, rolling on the ground, scrambling to escape the hoard of insects.

"HOLY SHIT—" I screamed as I crawled against the floor, hiding in the corner of the room. "This is just a nightmare. Yes, it's totally just a nightmare. It's all just a bad dream," I chanted to myself repeatedly like a religious fanatic. "I'm in a dream right now, oh yeah, totally in a dream—" My voice cut off as a huge bee landed on my shoulder.

I screeched in terror, repeatedly brushing it off my shoulder and ran over to the opposite side where Rantaro was succumbing to a hoard of grasshoppers on the floor. "R-Rantaro, are you okay?!"

"According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way that a bee should be able to fly—" The sound of his voice was muffled by the sheer amount of insects on top of him, but I understood the panic he was feeling, just by the nonsense he was spewing.

"G-God damn it all...KOKICHI!" I yelled out his name in anger and continued running around like a headless chicken for who knows how long until the 'party' eventually ended.

"Everyone looks like they're having fun, so Gonta will leave for now! Gonta be back soon!" I heard Gonta's voice through the pandemonium and watched him slide out of the room, locking the door behind him.

 **~~O~~**

"Sir, what should we do?"

The man dressed in black had his legs crossed on his chair as he stared at the wide-screen footage. He clicked his tongue once from a combination of spite, annoyance, and impatience. His fingers drummed against the wooden table in his office, sending discordant echoes reverberating throughout the room.

With a heavy sigh, he leaned forward, placing his chin on top of his folded hands. He watched with eyes blazing in silent fury at the girl, running around inside the insect room. "She's starting to become a nuisance."

"Yes, I can see that," his secretary shifted her glasses.

"It would be a huge wrench in our plans if that boy doesn't end up self-destructing in the end. If he manages to work together with the rest of them, there's no telling what he'd do," the man clicked his tongue again. "We have to stop this momentum."

The secretary frowned. "I'm aware that having them genuinely work together would be disadvantageous for us...but is it that big of a deal whether that boy is the one to bring them together?"

"Of course, it does. What are you talking about?" The man snapped. "The main point is, with that boy acting the way he's supposed to, it is impossible for them to truly work together. Although it sounds counterintuitive, him acting for their benefit is actually what causes discordance within the group."

"I-I see," his secretary stammered. "I apologize for not seeing that."

The man grunted. "There's nothing we can do about that boy. Maybe it was a mistake on our part for leaving him so intelligent."

"We could always get rid of him, can't we? Like how Miss Tsumugi tried to get rid of Rantaro," the secretary suggested.

"We only went with that plan because Tsumugi said she was sure she could get rid of him, and we know how that went. Besides, he's a fan-favorite character. Did you see his poll results from the last one we had? He's on the number one list for best character." He rolled his eyes.

"We can't out the other overseer this quickly. It's only the second round, for god sake!" The man slammed his fists on the table. "Damn it. We're at a stalemate."

"If we can't get rid of him, hopefully, someone will get rid of her. She's the one changing him, after all." The secretary pointed out. "Now, it's only a matter of whether a murder will happen after they just shared their ideas openly with each other..."

The man paused, a thought passing through his head. Then, he flickered the remote on his desk. "Wait. Let me check all the footage of everything that has occurred thus far today."

The secretary watched in silence as the director flipped through the different video cameras. Their eyes widened after each one. The secretary turned towards the director with a knowing look on her face. "S-Sir...this is..."

The man suddenly grinned, malice overflowing from every cell inside his body. He laughed out loud, sending shivers down the secretary's spine. "It appears we were worried for nothing. We don't actually need to do anything."

He sighed in relief, a cunning smile hanging on his lips. "Let the game start again."

 **~~O~~**

"Hm, where is it?" Kokichi fiddled with the screwdrivers and paperclips in his hand, poking them inside the keyhole. He twisted and turned his fingers until a resounding click echoed down the hall. A wide grin made its way up onto his face. "Bingo!" He pushed open the door and made his way inside.

The room was minimally decorated — perhaps the least 'homey' of all the rooms he'd visited so far.

"Man, and here I thought Shiro-chan's room was boring enough. What is this, a prison?" Kokichi complained as he strolled around the room, searching through the drawers, closet, and even underneath the bed. His efforts were fruitless. The motive video was nowhere to be found. With a small click of his tongue, he frowned. "It's not here. This makes the third one..."

He muttered to himself as he glanced around the room one last time. "Guess I'll have to find them myself. Who would've thought **_three_** people would be missing the motive videos they got?"

Of course, there was simply the possibility that some of the students chose to keep the motive videos with them, but that was unlikely. After all, why would anyone feel the need to carry around someone else's motive video?

That is...unless...

A sly and knowing look plastered itself onto Kokichi's face as he suddenly cackled. "I see. So there were other people who broke our promise to keep the motive videos to ourselves."

His mind flashed back towards Shirayuki's speech from earlier. He narrowed his eyes and rumbled darkly, words acerbic and forthright. "See? This is what happens when you trust others so willingly, Shiro-chan. In the end, people betray you behind your back. Their words are all nothing but empty promises."

His eyes were blank as he stared in disdain at the empty room. "Then again, I guess I don't have the right to complain."

He spun around, eyes dark like polished coal with a hint of wistfulness, marching off towards his next destination. "After all, I'm the biggest _hypocrite_ of them all."

 **~~O~~**

No matter what anyone said, Gonta was sure that everyone was having a grand time learning about his insect friends. In fact, one could say that he was brimming with energy and pretty much shining with happiness as he casually searched the other rooms. Although he wanted to be there with his friends, teaching them about all the bugs in the world, he couldn't just leave Kokichi alone.

He had a lot of _errands_ to run, after all.

With a quick rummage around, he grabbed all the motive videos he could find and quietly left the room, making sure to lock each and every door along the way. He was a gentleman, after all.

Gonta spotted Kokichi sliding out of Ryoma's room, and he ran over towards the boy. "Kokichi! Are you done?"

Kokichi's eyes were blank, but at the sight of Gonta, he immediately grinned brightly. "Oh, yeah! How'd it go on your end?"

"Gonta picked them all up!" Gonta beamed and proudly handed all the motive videos to Kokichi.

Kokichi accepted them with wide arms and bundled them up. "Nishishi, I knew I could count on you! Now, I still have some business to take care of. Thanks for everything~ oh and don't forget to lock the door!"

Gonta saluted with a million-dollar smile. "Okay!" Then he handed Kokichi back the keys to his Ultimate Lab.

After Kokichi ran out of the dormitory, Gonta turned back to Ryoma's room and entered it. "Hm, where is it?" Gonta mumbled to himself as he glanced around the room. His eyes landed on a particular object, and he gasped out. "Oh! There it is!"

Having finished all his errands, he slid out of the room and locked the door behind him. "Um, let's see, Gonta still has a few minutes left before night-time. Maybe Gonta should go searching for insects!"

He pranced out the dormitory and headed towards the courtyard, looking for new insect friends. The rest of that night, Gonta spent his time freely, unaware of all the sinister beings lurking around him.

 **~~O~~**

It happened slightly before night-time. Maki knew the brat was coming for her. She had a sick feeling in her stomach the entire day, ever since Kaito invited her for a midnight training session in the courtyard. Of course, that was only one side of the story. There was another reason why she felt so murky and annoyed throughout the entire day.

As a well-trained assassin, her instincts were honed to the point where she could detect the slightest change in the tension within the air. Although the others seemed to think of her as an uninterested girl, she knew more than anyone what was going on behind the scenes.

Even if she wasn't there to see it, she knew something bad was about to happen. The rotten smell of danger and menace was everywhere tonight. And it only heightened when Kokichi showed up in front of her lab.

She scowled and glared hard at him with blood-shot eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Nishishi, don't give me that look, Maki-chan! I just wanted to confirm something with you~" Kokichi replied, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"If it's just a question, then ask quickly and leave." Maki narrowed her eyes at him. "But knowing you, that's not all you're here for, is it?"

Kokichi smirked. "As expected of miss loner here. You have a keen intuition for this kind of thing. Have you been spending a lot of time with like-minded individuals to me?"

Maki didn't answer, but her temper flared, heating up the air permeating the two of them. She gritted her teeth, clawing back what little air of civil competency she could manage. "What are you trying to say?" She managed to ask.

Kokichi placed on an innocent facade and backed off a few steps. He held his hands out in front of him in a defenseless manner. "Oh no, I didn't mean to irk you! I was just wondering if you've dealt with mischievous or evil masterminds like me before!"

Maki resisted the urge to snap his neck into two and settled for a low, resonating growl. "Get out of here before I kill you, kid."

Kokichi suddenly grinned widely. "Kill, huh? Use that word often?"

And that was it. Civility had flown out the window as Maki got all fired up, launching herself towards him. Kokichi quickly dodged to the left, barely missing her attack by a mere inch. Maki spun around and shot her arms out to grab the gremlin, who rolled across the floor, sprinting off into the distance.

"Nishishi! Catch me if you can~" Kokichi ran down the stairs with a cheery voice, dodging all of Maki's attacks as she ran after him.

She knew his plan. He was looking for the motive videos in her possession, and he couldn't get it without catching her off guard, thus this wild goose chase. Although she had no reason to play his game, a part of her felt that it was time to get rid of the biggest annoyance in her life.

Surely, no one would be sad with the gremlin gone.

 **~~O~~**

Himiko slid open the secret compartment inside the stairs. She slowly poked her head out and cautiously scanned her surroundings. There was no sign of Angie or that terrifying Super-Saiyan monster that came prowling towards her earlier. With a heavy sigh of relief, she jumped out of the compartment.

When Gonta had come crashing through the door, Angie immediately shoved her inside the compartment, protecting her from his monstrous grasp. Aside from a few screams and shrieks on Angie's part, Himiko had absolutely no idea what had happened.

Then again, she guessed that Gonta probably hauled her friend somewhere. It wasn't any of her business, though maybe it was. She didn't know what Gonta had in mind, but she had other things to be worrying about.

Himiko walked around the gym, making sure that all her equipment was still in place and correctly positioned. After all, she couldn't risk anything being off the night before her grand performance.

Although this magic trick she planned was nothing compared to her usual performances, it still posed a fair amount of danger. She couldn't risk losing her life from her own magic. Being the cautious person she was, she made sure — twice — that everything was perfect and ready to go.

After a nod in satisfaction, she went backstage and grabbed her backpack. She managed to find one earlier from the Monomono machine and used it to carry all her tools of trade: her mage hat, the bottle of white powder she made earlier, and the motive video she carried around with her.

She stared at the motive video and frowned. Himiko had watched it. She knew what its contents were and what it implied for someone dear to her, but she chose not to say anything because everyone promised not to.

But even so, a part of her felt like she needed to share it with them. They deserved to know.

"I'll give it to her tomorrow," Himiko grumbled as she zipped up her bag and slid it on her back. Turning the lights off in the gym, she quietly slid out, just in time for the night-time announcement to echo down the hallway as she headed over towards her room.

She reached the dormitory and walked inside, only to halt from a sudden realization.

"...Nyeh?" She cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Did I leave my bag _unzipped_ earlier...?"

 **~~O~~**

"Phew! Is that all of them?" Kaede wiped her forehead with the sleeves of her shirt.

"I-I think so, yeah..." Shuichi trailed off, launching himself into a coughing fit for air.

We all sighed in relief, some of us crashing down onto the ground as our legs gave way. I groaned, massaging the headache rising up to my temples. We had spent the past three hours, catching the bugs and placing them back inside their cage. There were still a few flying, creepy crawlies around, but by now, everyone was way too exhausted to deal with them.

"In the end, Kokichi never came back, did he?" Kiibo suddenly pointed out. "It's already way past night-time."

"Maybe something happened to him?" Rantaro suggested as he brushed the dirt off his outfit.

Tenko rolled her eyes from the opposite corner of the room. "Serves him right."

"I have to say, it is unlike him to...not keep his promises," Korekiyo hummed in amusement. "Perhaps something really did happen to him."

Angie just pranced around the room in her usual sing-song voice. "Nyahaha! I'm sure he'll be back soon. Surely, he won't let us starve in here to death!"

Kaede frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "Don't say that. We're not going to die in here with all these insects around!"

Shuichi dryly laughed. "At least Kokichi was right about one thing: this was hell."

Everyone nodded weakly in silent agreement before the door suddenly clicked open. All eyes turned towards the door as Kokichi popped his head inside, sweat glistening on his forehead. "H-Hey guys! I'm back~ that took much longer than I expected!" He slid himself inside the door. "So, you guys okay? You all look like drowned sewer rats!"

"WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?!" We all pointed fingers at him.

Kokichi only laughed out loud, brushing our anger off. "Now now, forget the details! We can finally get this party started, you know?"

"Don't tell me you seriously went inside all our rooms and gathered all our motive videos..." Tenko glared at him. "How degenerate-like!"

"Yep! I did~ or at least, that's what I wanted to say..." He trailed off and sighed, crossing his arms. "I failed to acquire some of your motive videos. I wonder where the rest of them are, hm?"

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. "You mean some of us are missing our videos?"

Kokichi shook his head. "Oh no, I found all your motive videos in your rooms. The rest of the others who aren't here though...some of them didn't keep the motive videos in their room, so I had to run all over the campus looking for them!"

"So, that's why you were so late..." Rantaro deduced. "So how did it go? Judging from your behavior, it didn't end so well, did it?"

Kokichi pouted, clenching his fists in annoyance. "I couldn't find anyone! Why is everyone so good at hide-and-seek all of a sudden?!"

"Then why are you sweating so much?" I pointed out. "Looks like you just had one hell of a work-out."

Kokichi rolled his eyes. "Well, I was running around the whole school looking for everyone for three whole hours. That's a lot of exercise, you know?"

"So...are we doing this streaming session or not?" Korekiyo spoke up. "Kehehe, I wonder what kind of secrets will be exposed."

Kiibo flinched. "Why do you look so excited all of a sudden...?"

"Nah, let's not do that," Kokichi suddenly uttered out with a mischievous grin on his face.

I blinked my eyes rapidly. Then, my jaw dropped as I gaped at him. "W-WHAT?!"

He shrugged. "I changed my mind. We can't have a screening when I'm missing some of the videos, right? It'd be unfair to the others who aren't here as well if they're the only ones not watching!"

Rantaro's eyebrow shot up. "You're actually speaking sense for once."

"Oh shut up, Avocado. Veggies shouldn't speak!" Kokichi frowned. "Anyway, we'll do the video screening tomorrow instead. I'll get everyone else's videos during breakfast tomorrow, and then we can do a real screening! I can't wait~."

"Yeah, like hell we're going to let you do that!" Tenko screamed, glaring at him with contempt and hatred. "Give us back our motive videos, now!"

"Nu-uh! I'm holding onto these for safe-keeping. Don't worry! I won't watch them without your consent! We're all going to watch them together in the morning, after all," Kokichi shook his head. "So, just trust me and wait for a bit, okay?"

"You're asking us _now_ to trust you? After everything you pulled tonight?" Kaede stared at him with disbelief. "You must be kidding!"

"Oh? I thought trusting others was your to-go motto, Kaede!" Kokichi snickered. "Have you changed your mind about your beliefs?"

"T-That's not what she was trying to say," Shuichi backed Kaede up. "Kokichi, if you have other plans for us, why don't you tell us now? At this rate, none of us can trust your words."

"Meh, trust is over-rated. I don't need that crap." Kokichi ignored Shuichi and suddenly snapped his fingers. "Monodam! You're still there outside the door, right?"

Without warning, the door burst open, and Monodam walked inside the room. "I-AM-HERE. WHAT-IS-WRONG?"

"Wha— why is he here?!" Tenko screeched, backing off towards the opposite end of the room.

"D-Did you call him here?!" Kiibo was sweating bullets as he stared at the robot. "How could you?!"

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I just spotted him outside the door. Maybe the mastermind sent him to watch over things," Kokichi shrugged. "Anyways, I'll leave these motive videos to you, Monodam!" Without warning, Kokichi dumped the pile of motive videos onto Monodam, who quickly gathered them up into his small, mechanical hands.

"WHAT-DO-YOU-WANT?" Monodam's robotic voice echoed throughout the room.

"I just want you to keep these with you for a while, just until tomorrow morning. That's fine with everyone, right?" Kokichi asked the rest of us. "Now, you can rest assure that I won't be watching these without your knowledge."

Everyone glanced at each other with hesitance whirling in their eyes. "W-Well, I guess it's better than if it was left with you," Tenko muttered out.

"The motive videos did belong to the Monokids, to begin with," Angie pointed out and shrugged. "Just let the kids have them back!"

"So yeah, anyway, sorry for all the commotion! See you all tomorrow morning!" Kokichi waved nonchalantly as he skipped out the door, leaving the rest of us stranded. An awkward silence filled the air.

"Uh, I guess, that's our cue to leave?" Kaede spoke up.

"Geez, in the end, why were we forced into this insect meet and greet?" Tenko complained. "And where's Gonta?"

"I thought he'd be coming back with Kokichi," Shuichi frowned.

Korekiyo shrugged. "Perhaps he got distracted by the possibility of finding insects in the courtyard."

"Or perhaps he has other pressing matters to attend to?" Angie suggested.

"Regardless, I think it's safe to assume we should all go to bed now. It is way past night-time," Rantaro sighed loudly. "I'll see you all tomorrow at the magic show before breakfast."

"Oh right," Angie nodded enthusiastically. "Don't forget to come to Himiko's magic show before breakfast! We're starting at 8 am sharp, so make sure you're there!"

Angie and Rantaro exited the lab while the rest of us followed. Kaede and Shuichi excused themselves to the courtyard, citing a midnight exercise session that they promised to attend with Kaito and Maki. Korekiyo was chuckling to himself for who-knows-what-reason the entire time as he walked out the door with Kiibo dragging himself along.

That left Tenko alone with me. She was staring absentmindedly outside the door, frozen in place. I turned towards her, striking up a conversation. "Hey, so, how's it going with the magic show prep? Is it all done?"

"H-Huh?" Tenko jolted in surprise at the sudden attention. "O-Oh, yeah, I think Angie finished everything after dinner. We're good to go for tomorrow morning."

"That's good to hear," I sighed. "We did put a lot of effort into the preparations."

Tenko dryly chuckled. "Well, it was mostly Angie's idea to make it as extravagant as possible. Himiko didn't really care, as long as she could perform her magic." Tenko's face went stern as she trailed off. "Hey, Shirayuki? Can I ask you something?"

"Hm? What's wrong?" I scrunched up my eyebrows in concern at her meek attitude. "Did something happen?"

"No, nothing happened," Tenko glanced off to the side. An unknown emotion flickered past her darkening eyes for a split second. "It's just...I was wondering..." Tenko started slowly, her tone filled with sorrow and anguish. "What do you when you just can't get through to someone?"

I blinked rapidly, cocking my head to the side. "I-I'm sorry?"

"I don't know how to say this, but..." Tenko squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth. "I'm trying my best to get someone to change for their own benefit. And I mean well. Seriously, I do. But in the process, what if I hurt them? Or what if I hurt someone else?"

I felt the air being sucked out of me. Her question was loaded, so heavy because it spoke miles about my own situation as well. All the arguments I had with Kokichi flashed through my mind. To what end was I trying so hard to get him on the right track? Can you change someone who isn't willing to change? And even if it's good for them, is forcing someone to change acceptable?

 _What if it continues to hurt the both of us...?_

"I think..." I started off slowly with hesitance. "It's inevitable to feel hurt in the process of helping someone. Whether it's you or them."

Tenko snapped her eyes opened, staring at me. "I see," she whispered quietly, a resigned look on her face.

"But, you know?" I continued, catching her attention again. "Since it's inevitable anyway, there's no fault in trying, right?" Tenko's eyes widened as I smiled at her with a wistful look in my eyes. "You don't know the outcome anyway. Besides, they always say no pain, no gain."

Tenko silently listened to me, taking in my words — reflecting over them and her own situation.

"Maybe it's arrogant of you to think you know better than them. Maybe it really isn't for their own sake, but for your _own_ comfort." I searched for the right words to say. "Sometimes, they'll never understand your intentions. But that's what happens when you try to get to know someone, right?"

"I guess you have a point," Tenko nodded in understand, her eyes more focused than before.

"It's in the pain and all the bad that you really get to know someone," I offered a lopsided grin. "So even if it hurts you, keep trying. One day it'll reach them. One day you'll reach a mutual understanding."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." The corner of her lips tugged up into a smile. "Thanks, Shirayuki. I really needed that."

I waved my hand in the air, shaking my head. "Nah, it's nothing. I think I needed this talk too."

Tenko raised an eyebrow. "Is this about Kokichi?"

I sputtered, coughing on thin air. "W-What gave you that idea?"

Tenko rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. It's obvious you're pretty close to him — perhaps the most out of all of us. I have no idea what you see in him, but don't get too chummy with degenerate males like him." She glared at me, making me sweat.

"U-Uh, okay. I'll keep that in mind," I awkwardly laughed. "Anyway, I wish you well with Himiko. She's in good shape to have a friend like you."

"Yeah, thanks," Tenko nodded. "I think Himiko will be fine. She's stronger than I thought. Right now, I'm more worried about..." She trailed off, clenching her fists.

"Huh? I thought you were talking about Himiko this entire time," I raised an eyebrow. "Was I wrong?"

"It's nothing," Tenko reassured me with a smile. "I'll be going now. I can't wait for tomorrow's magic show!"

"I've never been to a magic show before, so this is a first for me," I pointed out, humming in agreement.

We headed back together to the dorms, chatting along the way. As I went to bed, I resolved myself to talk to Kokichi again tomorrow after the magic show. For some reason, there was an odd feeling inside my stomach, like I had forgotten something important. But the insect meet and greet had depleted all my energy, leaving me completely exhausted.

I fell asleep in an instant, unaware that it would be the last night that week where I would be able to sleep peacefully without any concern in the world.

 **~~O~~**

"Whoa, this is much nicer than I thought!" Kaede gasped as she took in the decorated gym.

Tenko and I had arrived early to make last-minute adjustments to the decor. We hung red banners down from the top of the window sill and strewn together golden paper strings to decorate the rest of the walls. The water-tank was set up, and the ladder was in place. The lighting was slightly dimmed to add to the magic-feel of the area.

"We did try our best for Himiko's sake!" Tenko was back to her usual cheerful antic.

I turned my head towards Himiko, who was shivering behind back-stage. "Himiko? Are you okay?"

Himiko nodded stiffly. "Uh, yeah. I'm just nervous. In fact, I was so nervous I couldn't sleep, so as soon as night-time was over, I locked myself up in the dining hall the entire morning until now."

"Wait, seriously?" I frowned. "Are you sure you're okay? You can perform this trick safely, right?"

She whipped her head towards me and glared furiously. "It's not a trick. It's _magic_."

I sweatdropped and backed away from her. "R-Right. Magic, haha..."

I decided to leave her alone with Tenko and Angie to calm down her nerves. I scanned the premise, looking at the audience. Almost everyone was here, with a few exceptions. Kokichi wasn't here yet, though I assumed he was probably late. For some reason, Ryoma, Maki, and Gonta were also missing.

"We're still missing some people, aren't we?" Rantaro suddenly strode up towards me. "If you're wondering about Ryoma, he isn't feeling that well, so he's resting in his own room."

"Oh, I see," I said, then paused. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Wait, how do you know what Ryoma's been up to?"

Rantaro just shrugged. "I was talking to him last night in the Ultimate Tennis Lab. He didn't look well after our talk, so I told him to go rest inside his room today."

"Maki isn't coming," Kaito suddenly interjected. "I invited her, but she said it was nonsense and a waste of time." He shrugged.

"Oh, well, that's too bad," I frowned. "That leaves Gonta and Kokichi," I pointed out.

"Kokichi, I could understand, but Gonta's also missing?" Korekiyo mused in excitement. "This sounds like a mystery."

"Hm, I don't know. Perhaps Gonta is with Kokichi right now?" Shuichi had his fingers on his chin, looking like he was in deep thought. "Unless Kokichi shows up alone, then that's a different story."

As if on cue, the door slid open, and Kokichi stepped inside the room. "Oh? Is everyone else already here?" He scanned his surroundings with starry, excited eyes. "Thank god the performance hasn't started yet! I was so excited for this show!" He pumped up his fists, much to everyone else's chagrin.

"We all know what you're looking forward to most is the video screening afterward," Tenko mumbled underneath her breath.

Rantaro just shook his head in disapproval but chose not to say anything.

"Kokichi, do you know where Gonta is?" Shuichi suddenly posed a question.

Kokichi blinked. "Hm? Gonta? I don't know where that guy is!"

"But you were with him yesterday, right?" Kaede asked for clarification.

"Well, when we were gathering the motive videos, he was helping me. But after I found out a few people were missing theirs, I sent him off. I didn't want poor Gonta to come chasing everyone else with me. That'd be too tiring for him, and I was concerned~" Kokichi pouted.

I rolled my eyes. "Concerned my ass. You literally used him, to begin with."

"Nishishi, I won't deny that~" Kokichi snickered. "But anyway, the last time I saw him was when we parted in front of the dormitory. He did say he was going to search for more of his insect buddies in the courtyard, so maybe he got too excited about his adventure and disappeared into the woods?"

"That sounds unlikely," Shuichi pondered. "It's not like him to be late to a performance. He's known for being a gentleman, after all."

"Well, there's no point in worrying about it," Rantaro shrugged. "Other people chose not to come too, so he might just be feeling under the weather."

As the others dived into a conversation about Gonta's disappearance, I approached Kokichi. I poked him on the shoulder, and he turned towards me with his usual mischievous smile on. "Hm? What's up, Shiro-chan?"

"Can I talk to you after the show?" I asked meekly as I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt. "I wanted to tell you something."

"Oh? What is this?!" Kokichi nodded enthusiastically. "This behavior of yours...IS THIS A ROMANCE FLAG?!"

I choked on thin air, shaking my head furiously. "N-No! What are you even thinking?!"

"Nishishi~ I'm just kidding, Shiro-chan. Man, you're easy to fool as usual!" He chuckled. "Anyway, sure! Let's talk after this show is over— oh, actually, can it wait until after the motive video screening?"

I nodded. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you want."

"Ooh, like whatever you want, master?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

I slapped him in the head once, glaring at him. "Who'd want to have such a willful, annoying master like you?"

Kokichi pouted, sniffing as he prepared to launch a stream of crocodile tears. "Y-You're so mean..."

Before Kokichi could start crying, Angie clapped her hands loudly to gather our attention. The show started as Himiko climbed up onto the stage. "Nyahaha! Thank you, Atua, for being with us today! I present you the mysterious, the miraculous, the amazing Himiko!"

"Boo! You should thank us first for helping!" Tenko suddenly screamed out, making me wince.

"N-Nyeh," Himiko stuttered as she shook uncontrollably on stage. "T-The magic I will be performing is...the Extreme Water Magic. U-U-Underwater Escape A-Act."

"Uh, is she going to be okay?" I muttered to myself as I looked at her with concern.

"If you would, please turn your attention to the water tank in front of you!" Angie gestured her hand towards the tank. "When the timer above the stage starts, Himiko will enter the water tank. Once she's in the tank, her assistant — me — will draw the curtains in front of the tank."

Then, Angie pointed up towards the tank that was hovering in the air. "Then, a separate, suspended tank filled with Piranhas will open and drop!" The audience gasped. "After the piranhas have fallen and the curtain is opened, if by some miracle, Himiko is gobbled up, please give a big round of applause!"

Nobody laughed at her joke since they were all fearing for Himiko's safety.

Angie chuckled to herself. "Juuuuuust kidding! It's a joke! Well then, let's begin the magic trick!"

The timer across the wall beeped, and the countdown began. Himiko took a deep breath as she jumped into the tank. The curtains were then drawn as we all waited, knee-deep in silence and anxiety. As the timer continued to tick, everyone began to feel more anxious and panicked.

"She's probably out already, right?" Kaede nudged Shuichi, who was simply staring in horror at the closed curtains.

"H-Himiko, she's not out yet!" Tenko started to scream.

"Calm down. It's only been fifteen seconds," Korekiyo uttered.

The timer went down to twenty seconds, and the crowd began to panic. "I-I think we need to help her!" Kiibo suggested.

"Nu-uh!" Angie stopped everyone from panicking. "This is all a part of the magic trick!"

"N-No! We have to save her!" Tenko screamed as she started running towards the curtain. The countdown ticked down to zero, and the pile of piranhas came tumbling down into the pool. Tenko's face went completely ashen as he yanked open the curtains. "H-Himiko— huh?"

We all stared in surprise as the piranhas swam freely in the tank. Himiko was nowhere to be seen.

"W-What? Where is she— ah!" Kaede suddenly screamed.

Standing next to her was Himiko, safe, and sound. Himiko grinned smugly and raised her hands up into the air. "Behold! The great underwater escape!"

It took a moment before everyone processed what had happened. Then, we all broke into a thunder of applause. "T-That was nerve-wracking," I heavily sighed.

"Nishishi, that was fun!" Kokichi folded his arms across his chest. "I thought it'd be more of a cheap sham, but that was actually pretty entertaining!"

I glanced at Himiko, who was now calming down a crying Tenko. "Well, she is the Ultimate Mage."

"Oh, Shirayuki~" Angie's high-pitched voice suddenly entered my ears. She strolled over towards me. "Sorry to bother you, but can you help me with the clean-up of the equipment too?"

I nodded. "Sure, no problem. I might as well help until the very end." I turned away from Kokichi and headed over towards the backstage. I stepped on a small puddle of water along the way and frowned.

 _Where'd this puddle of water come from?_

"Can you take off the banners, first?" Angie asked.

I nodded and climbed up the stage, placing the ladder underneath the windowsill. With steady steps, I climbed up to the top and reached above the window, taking off the banner that we stuck onto the wall. Then, I started to climb down—

 _Wait, why's the window open?_

I froze mid-step and stared out the open window. Squinting my eyes, I moved my face closer towards the window, looking down into the swimming pool.

 _Is something...floating in the water...?_

"Hm? What's taking so long, Shirayuki?" I heard Angie's voice calling me from below.

"There's something floating in the swimming pool, but I can't see—" I started to explain before my throat clogged up.

 _No...No way...that coat...that large build..._

I felt like I was about to faint. My head became light-headed as my eyes quickly scanned the pool area. There was a tube floating in the water and a couple of tied up ropes. But that wasn't anything shocking. The figure floating in the water suddenly became clearer to me as my mind processed the long strand of hair, the large build, and the tube hanging around the body's neck.

Before I realized it, I was screaming. "KYAHHHHHH!"

I felt myself slip from the stairs and came crashing down onto the ground. My elbows were probably bruised, but I couldn't even think about it now. My entire body shivered. Immediately, someone was by my side, holding me still by the shoulders.

"Shirayuki, are you okay?!" The familiar scent of grapes gave me a sense of comfort as I unconsciously leaned against him. "What happened?" His voice uncharacteristically shook, but maybe it was just my imagination.

"T-There's...h-he's...in...pool," My words came out all jumbled and broken but he understood the sentiment.

"...Fuck, god damn it," Kokichi cursed underneath his breath. I was the only one who heard him due to our close proximity.

"Shirayuki, what happened?!" The rest of the students suddenly surrounded me, bombarding me with questions. Kokichi immediately let go of me and shifted away. I stared after him with slightly dampened eyes.

"I-I'm fine, but there's someone...a b-body in the pool next door!" I yelled out.

Immediately, everyone's face went pale in terror. "Y-You're kidding me..." Kaito stammered out. "If it's a joke it's not funny!"

"N-No, it can't be! Who is it?!" Kaede panicked.

"Let's go to the pool!" Shuichi ordered.

"Hurry!" Rantaro was already running towards the exit with everyone behind him.

"Shiro-chan, let's go too," Kokichi was back by my side after everyone left. He took off the scarf he was wearing and tied it gently around my bruised elbow. Then, he yanked me up onto my feet and dragged me out of the gym. I held onto his grip tightly as we moved to the pool.

We walked inside and stepped into the crowd. I took a gulp and faced the poolside.

As I expected, there was a body floating in the water. The rubber tube was around his neck with a few strands of rope floating around him like a spider web in the water. I felt my legs give way as I tumbled down to the ground again in sheer horror. Kokichi stood beside me, face completely devoid of emotion, but the tightening grip he maintained on my wrists said otherwise.

 ***Ding Dong Bing Bong***

"A body has been discovered! Everyone, please gather in the gym!" The Monokuma announcement flickered on.

The announcement sealed the deal. This was not a nightmare nor a dream. It was real — the body of our friend, the sickening feeling in our stomachs, the horror, fear, and despair.

The game had started again.

And we could only stare in silence at the body of our friend: Gonta Gokuhara, the Ultimate Entomologist.


	20. Chapter 19: Investigation Trial 2 Part 1

**A/N:** Hey, peeps! For those of you who came from my Wattpad account, I announced there earlier that I was having trouble finding my way home with all the panic going on. Thankfully, I've made it back to my home country just in time before the country closed its borders *phew* My classes have been moved online, so I'll still have some trouble updating often, but I promise I'm doing my best!

And don't forget: your health is of the utmost importance. Don't harm others with your negligence, take care of yourselves, and relax. Everything will be okay.

* * *

 **[Chapter 19: Investigation Trial 2 Part 1]**

We knew this day was coming. Even if we all tried to be positive, we knew deep inside that someday, the game would start again. It was simply inevitable. Monokuma would never let the game after just one round.

But no one expected Gonta of all people to be the next victim. That pure, innocent, child-like boy who was stronger and kinder than anyone. No one could ever hate the guy.

The initial shock was overwhelming. Not a single breath was heard. Everyone simply stood there dumbfounded, staring at the impossible reality in front of their eyes.

 _Why did this happen to Gonta? And how, of all people, did the strongest man in our ranks end up killed?_

 ** _*Ding Dong Bing Bong*_**

The screen on the monitor buzzed. "A body has been discovered! Please head over to the swimming pool!"

"G-Gonta?" Shuichi was the first to break the deafening silence.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" Miu screamed, her legs quivering. She slid a few steps back, her face paling after each one. "W-Why is he dead?!" Her emotional outburst broke everyone out of a trance, triggering an explosion of panic and chaos around the room.

"W-Why? Why Gonta?" Kaito clenched his fists. His voice trembled in disappointment and anger that was aimed at everyone else, but mostly himself for being so powerless and weak. "That guy...he was the kindest person I knew...SO WHY?!" His jaws shuddered uncontrollably as Kaito felt all his beliefs crumbling into irreparable pieces.

"K-Kaito, calm down." Kiibo frowned as he walked up to him and patted Kaito on the shoulder, squeezing tightly. "We're all angry, but now is the time to be calm." Although Kiibo was trying to console Kaito, the crushing grip on Kaito's shoulder said otherwise.

"I know that," Kaito snapped back with a glare directed at Kiibo. "But I can't just— damn it!" He cursed up to the skies, hot tears pouring down his eyes. "Just, why? Why Gonta?"

Nobody knew what to say. We were all just as confused and lost. I felt myself tightening my grip on Kokichi's hand. His fingers twitched in surprise, but he didn't brush me off.

"I...I don't understand," I whispered in a hushed voice as I shook my head in disbelief. "How? And...why?"

Kokichi didn't answer. He just stared intently at Gonta's floating corpse, eyes dark like polished coal. An inexplicable emotion was flickering through his eyes, and I had no idea how to bring it up. There were no words to describe this situation, and all I could do was grip his cold hand even harder.

"But he was still fine yesterday!" Tenko exclaimed in disbelief. Then, she turned around to glare at all the other men in the room. "Which one of you degenerates did it? Leave it to you degenerates to kill your kind! And of all people, you chose him?!" She pointed the finger at Gonta's body, floating lifelessly above the water.

"T-Tenko, calm d-down." Himiko attempted to ease Tenko's anger but failed miserably as she visibly wobbled for everyone to see, face ashen with horror.

"Oh my, he's dead? That's unfortunate." Angie frowned, pushing her hands against her cheeks. "What a pity. He was such a kind soul."

"That's all you have to say? Really?" Rantaro crossed his arms and stared at Angie with distaste.

Angie placed her hands together and prayed, closing her eyes. "Atua says all we can do is pray for his soul to rest in peace."

"No...it's...happened again? We have to go through that stupid trial, again?!" Miu slammed her fists against the wall. "Whichever one of you fucktards did it, you better confess up now, you hear me?!"

"Who the heck's going to confess just like that?" Kaito rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Miu whipped her head around to glare at him. "The hell did you say, turf head?"

"Kehehe, things have taken quite an interesting turn. I wonder what kind of hope I will witness this time around...?" Korekiyo chuckled in amusement as he watched everyone descend into pandemonium.

"S-Stop, guys!" Shuichi exclaimed, barging into the center of the fight. "This isn't the time for fighting!" But his voice was way too timid for the others to notice him, and the room continued to spiral down into chaos.

"W-What do we do?" I muttered, eyes flickering back and forth. "Everyone's panicking, Kokichi." There was no response, and I glanced up at him. "Kokichi...?" My eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. I snuck a sideways glance at his face. Kokichi was still frozen stiff. He wasn't paying any attention to the chaos around him. All of his attention was focused entirely on Gonta's body in front of him.

An eerie feeling filled my stomach as I stared in dread at Kokichi. My lungs felt as if they were being crushed under his cold, ruthless gaze. I shivered at the darkening look in his eyes. If I didn't know him better, I'd think he was simply blanking out in boredom.

But this was different.

 _Something's wrong. He's taking this way too personally compared to before. What is he thinking...?_

 **"...Who was it?"**

The arguing immediately died down. Tenko and Kaito froze mid-fight. Even Miu, who was usually so out-spoken, zipped her mouth shut. All eyes turned to look at Kaede. Her shoulders were quivering as her head hung low, casting an ominous shadow over her usually cheerful features.

"I said, who was it. Who did this," Kaede repeated. It wasn't a question. It was a demand — an order.

Nobody answered. The rest of us glanced at each other, unsure what to make of her change in demeanor.

"Don't you get it?" She lifted her head and glared at all of us with wet, damp eyes. Streaks of tears flowed down her reddening cheeks as the anger continued to spill out of her lips. "You're making the same mistake I did. Whoever you are, let me ask you this: have you not learned from my mistakes? Did you forget the sin I've committed last time?"

She raised her voice, making everyone wince. Shuichi silently walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kaede, it's okay. We understand."

Kaede reached her hand over to grasp his and took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself down. "Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't it have ended with just my failure? Why did someone attempt to take someone else's life again? Aren't we friends?!"

Her words sent everyone diving even further into despair because she was absolutely right. We had successfully won against Tsumugi, one of the masterminds in the last round. There was no reason to start the killing game again unless someone else involved in this killing game initiated this second round.

 _Is that it? Is the other mastermind on the move?_

From the ceiling, the Monokubs suddenly dropped down onto the floor. Monophanie started vomiting the moment she saw Gonta's body. "BLERCHHHH, HE'S DEAD!"

"Holy schnitzel, damn Tarzan got owned!" Monokid struck his guitar once and started guffawing, spraying his spit all over the place.

Monotaro quivered as he started foaming from his mouth. "O-Oh god! Gontaaaaaaa," he started wailing, though nobody paid any attention to him.

"Upupupu," Monokuma's laughter echoed throughout the room as he appeared from the ceiling, dropping down to the floor. "How does it feel to have a second murder happening? Hm? Is it just me, or is the air around here so dark and dreary?" Monokuma feigned ignorance, popping his head to the side.

"All of the punks are just shocked, dad!" Monokid continued to play his guitar. "Leave 'em be for a while, and they'll be all gung-ho again."

"Upupupu, you're right," Monokuma laughed, his red eye flaring with amusement. Then, he reached his hand into his pockets and pulled out a bunch of tablets. "And, here you go! A gift from me to you~"

"Is that the Monokuma File again?" Korekiyo inquired, narrowing his eyes at the object with suspicion. "The fact that I'm seeing this again makes me realize this isn't just a nightmare."

"Hm? Of course, it isn't a nightmare!" Monokuma bellowed out. "Your dear friend, Gonta Gokuhara has been killed! Not only that, but he was also brutally murdered by one of you," Monokuma declared, snickering. "Have fun weedling out the blackened! The class trial will start in a few hours, so you better use that time wisely if you don't want to die~"

"Hell yeah! I've been waiting for the next trial to happen!" Monotaro cheered.

"So long, bear well~" The Monokubs sang their usual farewell and disappeared from the pool area along with Monokuma, leaving the rest of us to wallow in the silence and despair.

"...What are we going to do now?" Kiibo meekly asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Miu scoffed. "Some stupid idiot started this goddamn game again, and now we're going to have to participate in that trial!"

"Not again..." Tenko grabbed her hair in frustration. "I don't want to do this anymore!"

Suddenly, the door behind us slammed open, and we turned our heads to meet the newcomers. Maki and Ryoma ran into the swimming pool area, sweat rolling down their faces.

"What happened?" Maki immediately demanded an answer as she stepped forward towards the poolside. As her eyes landed on Gonta's floating body, her gaze softened with pity and remorse. She sighed, shaking her head lightly. "So the killing game has really started again, huh?"

"And here I thought I would have a peaceful day for once," Ryoma shifted his beanie. "All I wanted was to rest, but life likes to throw shit our way, huh?"

"Where were you guys?" Korekiyo questioned. "Did you not know about Himiko's performance today?"

Maki shrugged. "I knew about it, but I wasn't really in the mood for a magic trick."

Ryoma frowned. "I wasn't really well and was resting up in my room. I made sure to tell Rantaro to inform you guys about my absence." Ryoma glanced over at Rantaro, who nodded in response.

"I did inform them earlier," Rantaro reassured him. "I'm sure they'll understand."

"Understand?" Kaede clenched her fists harder. "Sure, I understand how you might fall sick under this dire situation, but what I don't understand is why the killing game has happened again!"

"Kaede, calm down first," Shuichi bit his lips in agony. "I know it's hard, but we have to keep on going. You were the one who taught me that, didn't you? To not look away from the truth. To keep on fighting until the very end."

Kaede turned her attention to Shuichi. Shuichi walked up to her and grabbed her hands, covering them with his own. He squeezed lightly and shot her a small smile. "We may have made the same mistakes again, but we won't give up until we end this game for good, right?"

Kaede sniffed once, then twice. Then, she let go of Shuichi's hands and quickly rubbed her eyes with the sleeves of her shirt. "I know. I'm just...upset. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize about, Kaede!" Kiibo smiled. "We are aware of how much you care about all of us. Now is the time to return the favor. I will make sure this mystery is solved!"

"Wow, since when were you just a confident robot?" Kokichi suddenly perked up, catching me by surprise. He let go of my hand and nudged me off to the side with his elbows. I blinked, moving away from his path.

Kiibo snapped back at him. "How many times do I have to keep telling you this, but stop being robophobic!"

"Nishishi," Kokichi chuckled. "Anyway, I'll catch the culprit this time for sure!" He pranced towards the Monokuma Files lying on the ground and snatched one of them. "I'll be taking one of these, okay? Alright!" He pumped his fists into the air. "Time to investigate~"

He suddenly ran off towards the exit, and on reflex, I grabbed him by the arm, halting him. He turned around to stare at me, stunned. "What's wrong, Shiro-chan?"

I frowned. "What's wrong? That's what I want to ask you. Are you sure you're...okay?"

His mischievous expression stiffened for a split-second. "I'm feeling great, Shiro-chan! In fact, I think I can solve this mystery alone! So don't follow me, okay? I'll be doing my investigation alone this time. I'll tell you about my findings later before the trial~"

"Wait, Kokichi!" I yelled after him, but he swiftly dodged my grip, sprinting out the door. "What the heck is up with him?"

"Leave him be," Rantaro suddenly walked up behind me with a knowing look on his face. "If he wants to investigate alone this time, let him. We'll also do our part to help him when he needs it later."

"R-Right," I nodded in agreement, though a part of me couldn't help but worry over Kokichi's peculiar actions.

It was blatantly apparent that he was not feeling as great as he said, but then again, knowing him, he probably wouldn't tell me even if I asked him to be honest with me. Kokichi would be Kokichi until the very end. I sighed heavily before turning my attention back to the rest of the crowd. "So, what do we do? Break up into groups like last time?"

"Well, we need two people to watch over Gonta here. We can't have someone messing with the crime scene," Shuichi pondered, rubbing his chin. "Do we have any volunteers?"

"I'll stay here!" Tenko shot her hand up. "Himiko will stay with me too!"

"Nyeh? And when was I supposed to know about this?" Himiko frowned.

Tenko just grinned at her, flashing a v-sign. "Right now! Come on. We can do some investigating together too. Angie can join us too."

Angie jolted in surprise, her eyes widening. "Oh? That's a surprise. You're inviting me to join you?" Although there was hostility lurking in the air between them, Tenko forced herself to smile at Angie. "Hm, but I want to search the dining hall instead," Angie decided.

"What?" Tenko blinked. "Well, if you don't want to, that's fine..." Tenko looked as if she had something else to say, but decided to keep it in.

"Well, I guess that means we'll have two people watching over the swimming pool." Shuichi nodded, then turned towards the rest of us. "What about you guys? Will you be investigating alone too?"

"I'll stick with Rantaro," I replied. "I investigated with him last time too, so we'll be fine on our own."

Rantaro smiled. "I'm fine with that as well. We'll make sure to investigate carefully, don't worry about us." Then, he shifted his attention to Ryoma, who was standing alone in the corner. "Ryoma can also help us with his keen insights."

Ryoma raised an eyebrow before he smirked at Rantaro. "You and your nosy personality..." He walked over towards Rantaro and me with exasperation in his eyes, but there was no reluctance in his movements. I glanced back and forth between the two of them.

 _Did they befriend each other while I wasn't around?_

"I'll stay with Kaede as usual," Shuichi said. "I hope you don't mind?"

Kaede nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!"

"I'll walk around with Maki-roll then!" Kaito beamed as he swung his arm over Maki, who immediately swatted his arm off.

Maki grimaced. "Don't touch me, and don't call me that stupid nickname."

Kaito ignored her and promptly dragged her out of the swimming pool area.

I blinked in surprise. "Wait, since when were those two friends?"

Rantaro shrugged. "Who knows? At least they aren't fighting anymore, and that's worth celebrating."

Ryoma sweatdropped. "I don't think that counts as them being friends." He pointed at Maki, who was currently strangling Kaito's neck outside the swimming pool area. I laughed awkwardly, wiping the sweat off my forehead.

"Well then, should we start investigating now?" Rantaro said.

I nodded. "Yeah, let's start. We don't have much time. Let's just start at the swimming pool since we're here."

The group dispersed, and we all focused our entire attention on investigating the crime. There was no way we were going to give up and die here. After all, we had already come too far to go back.

 **~~O~~**

Kokichi Ouma wandered alone down the hallway to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water from the shared refrigerator and gulped down the contents, feeling the cold liquid sliding down his throat, soothing the burning pain inside of him. As soon as he finished, he chucked the empty bottle halfway across the pantry and watched it land perfectly into the garbage bin.

He stood in silence for a moment, brain processing everything that had occurred up until now. Then, he slammed his fists onto the countertop.

"Why am I so agitated?" Kokichi whispered to himself. He shook his head lightly, trying to shake off any remnants of anger, only to no avail. "This isn't like me." He groaned and wiped his forehead with his scarf.

Kokichi never enjoyed the killing game — and never will. Period. That much, he had made clear to himself. Although he always played the fool, irritating everyone that he met with his cheerful antics, it took him much longer than usual to recover his facade this time. Shirayuki, who was already perceptive, to begin with, could have realized that something was off with him, even with her eyes closed.

He was being so obvious about it that his pride as a masterful liar started to crumble. Something was off with himself and he needed to decipher his own emotions now before he could even start investigating.

And as much as he knew Shirayuki would gladly welcome him with open arms, his ego wouldn't allow him to ask her for comfort and help. Besides, this was something that he had to deal with himself.

The moment that he saw Gonta's body, something inside of him shattered into pieces. He wanted to hurl, cry, and destroy his entire being. As dramatic as it was, if there were a black hole near him, he'd dive right into it if it meant he could end the numbing pain inside of him.

When Shirayuki gripped his hand harder, and he felt the soft vibration of her quivering, it only made him want to run further away from it all.

There was no other way around it. He had to admit to himself. What he was feeling now wasn't just disappointment that his plan had failed. It wasn't just anger at the blackened for wrecking everything.

It was _guilt_. Plain, dirty, guilt.

A part of him felt as if he had brought Gonta to his doom. He was the one who involved Gonta in his plans. Maybe someone targetted Gonta instead of him, knowing that the other was more gullible.

And that was what angered him the most — the possibility that someone had decided to murder his frie— no, tool instead of him. Killing Gonta was the same thing as picking a fight with him.

But that wasn't all.

The moment that train of thought entered his head, it was inevitable that he would immediately think of Shirayuki.

 _What if the next time, she becomes the target?_

Kokichi was no hero. He wasn't a foolishly down-to-earth and kind person. Such heroic actions like sacrificing himself to save the greater good never entered his mind. All he wanted was to win the game, survive, and end everything — once and for all. And if it meant destroying this blood-stained game of death, some small sacrifices had to be made.

Gonta was a naive fool — or at least, he appeared to be. Kokichi never trusted a single person in the Killing Game, and that included Gonta. In Kokichi's eyes, Gonta was another possible betrayal, ready to happen. His innocent demeanor was probably just an attempt to manipulate everyone into believing him if he decided to commit murder one day. Kokichi had no doubts about that.

Really, emotions were over-rated. They prevented you from looking at the pure, logical truth. They led you astray from the safest path and blind you from the reality in front of you: that people were never who they appeared to be.

 _So why...am I feeling this way...?_

He shouldn't be feeling guilty. He simply used Gonta to advance his own goals. There was nothing to feel guilty about it. The one tricked is at fault for being too trusting of others.

But for the first time in his life, he felt afraid of his own decisions. The thought that he would be bringing others to their downfall irked him.

And he knew exactly what, or more precisely, who brought this change.

He had grown attached — way too attached for comfort and way too attached for him to revert to his old ways.

He had started a dangerous game that he now had trouble backing away from.

But he didn't have much time to ponder about it. He had to decide now whether to throw in the flag and accept his new-founded emotions or push that reset button inside of him.

 _If she stays near me, it'll only endanger her. It'll be fine if I keep a distance from her._

And that led him to his next dilemma: Kokichi needed Shirayuki's presence to help him win the game. She was his most prized tool — one more useful than Gonta or anyone else. It would be so easy to manipulate her into his plans, knowing how much she had also become attached to him.

Which meant he needed to keep her close without digging his own grave at the same time.

 _Then I'll have to reset everything back to zero. Any lingering attachments need to go._

He needed to focus all of his attention on the trial. There was no time left.

Kokichi mentally envisioned a button and pressed it, flipping the switch to his usual persona. A frolicking, wide grin made its way up to his face as he snickered to himself.

"Nishishi! Alright! Let's get cracking with this case. I won't lose!"

He quickly glanced around the kitchen, noting all the subtle clues, then sprinted out the door to his next designation.

 **~~O~~**

"We should look at the Monokuma File first, right?" I flipped the switch on the machine and scrolled through its contents. Rantaro peered over my shoulder, skimming the file as Ryoma hopped up and down. "Oops, sorry." I lowered the screen so that Ryoma could see it as well. "Does this height work for you?"

Ryoma only puckered his lips and stared at the floor. "Y-Yeah, this is fine."

 _Is he feeling conscious about his height...?_

"The victim is Gonta Gokuhara," Rantaro read aloud. "His body was discovered in the Swimming Pool. The cause of death was electrocution. He died an immediate death. There is a bruise on the victim's neck."

 **[Monokuma File 2 has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

My brows shot up in surprise. "Wait, electrocution? I really thought he got strangled by that tube." I glanced at his corpse next to us, noting the purple wound on the front of his neck. Tenko had nudged the tube off his neck with a fishing rod she found from the warehouse and dragged him out of the water onto the ground beside the pool.

"What on earth did he get electrocuted with?" Rantaro pondered, placing his finger on his lips thoughtfully. "There aren't that many tools that allow for electrocution to occur around here."

"Hm, can't you just throw your Monopad into the water?" I suggested.

Rantaro shook his head. "If that's the case, someone would be missing their Monopad right now, and that'd put them right on the suspect list."

I clicked my tongue once in annoyance. "Damn, you're right."

"Electrocution, huh?" Ryoma muttered to himself as he crossed his arms.

I snuck a glance at him and frowned. "Did you come up with something?"

Ryoma nodded. "I don't know if it's related, but...something was missing in my room when I returned to my room last night."

"What was it?" Rantaro asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"Do you remember that night we went to the casino together?" Ryoma turned to face me.

I nodded. "Yeah. If I remember correctly, you won big, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but do you remember the prize I got from Miu?" Ryoma asked.

I paused for a moment, flipping through my memories. "Uh, wasn't it an RC car? One that she made?" I answered.

"That's what went missing," Ryoma explained. "It was there yesterday when I woke up, so someone must have taken it later on, either in the afternoon or in the middle of the night."

"An RC car, huh?" Rantaro squinted his eyes, his gaze landing somewhere in the water. "I see. That's what caused Gonta's death."

I whirled my head towards him, scrunching my face in confusion. "Why do you sound so sure about that?"

He smiled knowingly and jerked his head to the side. "Take a look at that," Rantaro said as he pointed his thumb at the pool.

I followed his gaze and immediately noticed what caught his attention. There was a shadowy object lying at the bottom of the pool. The white rope that was floating in the water seemed to be connected to it. "Is that...?" I mumbled as I walked over towards Tenko and tapped her on the shoulder.

Tenko who standing guard next to Gonta's body jolted at the touch. She spun her head around to face me and blinked. "Hm? What's up, Shirayuki?"

"Do you mind pulling this rope for a minute?" I lifted the end of the rope lying on the floor and handed it to her. "I think there's something connected to it."

She stared at me with confusion but obliged. "Uh, okay?" Tenko muttered as she slid her feet back and pulled at the ropes. The rest of the rope slowly slid out of the water as she took slowly walked backward.

 _*Clank*_

An object drifted out of the water, landing on the ground with a thud. The end of the rope was tied to its body. I gasped, recognizing the object immediately. "Wait, isn't this the RC Car?"

Ryoma sauntered over towards us, inspecting the object. He nodded stiffly. "Yeah, that's it, alright."

"Nyeh?" Himiko poked her head out from behind Tenko's back. "Since when were you one to play with RC cars?"

Ryoma scowled. "Of course not. I'm not a child. Miu gave it to me."

"It seems we've already found the murder weapon." Rantaro slid up behind me, peering at the RC car. "Be careful not to touch it directly, Shirayuki. You don't want to end up being the second victim."

On reflex, I slammed my elbow into his ribs, causing him to wince. I glared at him. "What, you think I'm _that_ stupid?"

Ryoma scoffed, rolling his eyes at my comment. "More like reckless."

"What?!" I placed my hand on my hips, looming in front of Ryoma. "I'm not that reckless!"

He shrugged in response. "If you weren't, then why would you befriend that kid of all people?"

I opened my mouth to retort, only to freeze the moment I heard his words. "What are you talking about?" My eyes swept over towards Rantaro for a split second, but he only looked away, whistling innocently.

 _Did he tell Ryoma something?_

"That boy's beyond saving, you know?" Ryoma's lips thinned, his expression stony and blank. "I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but it'd be in your best interest to leave him be. At this rate, he might be taking you down with him—"

"It's too late for that."

My immediate reply caught Ryoma by surprise as his eyes widened. Rantaro stopped whistling as he turned to look at me, eyes narrowing. Unbeknownst to them, I had also caught myself by surprise at how easy those words flew out of my mouth.

 _A day before, I was still shaking like a new-born deer at the thought of him killing me, but now..._

I heaved a sigh. "I'm already a goner, after all." A clipped laugh followed my reply. It wasn't resignation, but merely an acceptance of the facts — that I had already swum too far from the shore to return.

Tenko and Himiko glanced at me before their gazes flickered over to Ryoma and Rantaro in confusion. Rantaro had a blank look on his face, betraying no emotions that he was bottling up inside. Ryoma's eyes softened as he reached up to pat me on the shoulder once. His grip tightened as he stared into my eyes with something akin to pity and understanding.

"Sorry. It wasn't my place to say that," Ryoma apologized. "It's your life, after all. Live as you wish."

The corner of my lips tugged up into a lop-sided smile. "Yeah, thanks for the warning, but I've already decided. I stuck my nose where it didn't belong, and now I'm suffering from the consequences of my actions." I paused, closing my eyes for a moment as I recalled Kokichi's peculiar actions from earlier.

I was too occupied with the despair of finding Gonta's body to realize that when I grabbed his hand earlier, the trembling wasn't just from me.

His hands were shaking as well.

He was acting strangely, but I chose to let him go anyway. Maybe it was cowardly of me, declaring that I was going to _expose_ and _save_ him from himself, only to back away from any confrontation with him under the excuse disguised as kindness. Even if I should've stopped him right then and there, I chose to let him go, thinking that I didn't have the right to force him to open himself.

But perhaps that was just me running away from the responsibility that came with changing the man called Kokichi. I had entered a dangerous game in a fatal situation, and it was way too late to back out from it.

There was no other choice but to continue forward, even if that meant destroying myself in the process.

"I promised him, so I can't back away now." I shrugged, smiling at Ryoma. "Besides, I want to believe."

"To be honest, I'm sort of against this." Rantaro suddenly stepped up, his eyes blazing with a mixture of anger, but also sorrow. "As much as I understand your point of view, I can't help but think this will work against you."

"Thanks for worrying about me." I gave him a reassuring smile. "If I seriously fall hard, pick me up, will ya?" I flashed a toothy grin.

Rantaro stayed silent for a moment before he sighed heavily, shoulders drooping as he stared at the floor. "You are too stubborn for your own good, you know that?"

I rubbed the back of my head, sheepishly. "Well, that's just who I am!"

"Uh, what on earth have you guys been talking about for a while now?" Tenko interjected into the conversation.

"Nyeh, I don't care, can we hurry up with the investigation already?" Himiko pouted. "I want to get this done with soon."

Ryoma sweatdropped, shaking his head in disapproval. "You do know your own life is at stake, right?"

"She's right, though. We should hurry up with the investigation," Rantaro agreed, changing the subject. "Shall we continue, Shirayuki?"

I nodded in response. "We'll need to check with Miu later about the RC car," I said. "She should be lurking around the dining hall right now."

 **[RC Car has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

"Right, let's get right back into investigating," I yelled out, pumping my fists into the air.

Rantaro and Ryoma nodded, going back to their search. Tenko and Himiko were engaging in small talk. I knelt down and grabbed the rope again, examining every detail on it. My fingers trailed after the long rope, reaching the opposite end of the rope eventually.

I inspected the ends of the rope and frowned.

 _Wait a minute..._

I slid the rope back towards the middle and squinted my eyes.

 _This rope...it's somewhat torn at the end. Also, there are many areas along the rope that seem frazzled or burnt. I wonder how that happened?_

 **[Long Sturdy Rope has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

Standing up, I walked over towards the inner tube. "There's also a rope tied to the ends of this inner tube," I whispered to myself. I bent down and immediately noticed the same burn marks in the middle of the rope.

 _This rope too? What does this mean?_

 **[Inner Tube in the Pool has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

"Found out anything?" Rantaro said from his spot near the pool warehouse.

I waved the ropes around in the air. "Yeah, these ropes are kind of burnt. No idea how that happened, though."

"There's something I've been wondering about," Ryoma suddenly perked up from the opposite corner of the pool. He stood in front of the signboard and mused. "According to this sign here, the pool is prohibited during night-time, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Monokuma confirmed that for us a while ago," I answered. "What about it?"

"Well, if Gonta died here in the pool, wouldn't that mean he was killed before night-time?" Ryoma pointed out. "No one can enter here after night-time, so if they killed him, it had to be before night-time."

Tenko overheard the conversation and beamed. "Wow, you're right! For a degenerate male, you're pretty good!" Then she paused and eyed Ryoma with suspicion. "Unless you know about this since you were the one who killed him?"

Ryoma scrunched his lips in disgust. "No, I didn't. Anyone could have use logic to figure that out, Tenko."

Tenko made a weird face, eyes blank like a dead fish's. "Huh, okay."

"You don't believe me at all, do you?" Ryoma accused.

Tenko only peered off to the side. "You're suspicious, okay? You even came late this morning to Himiko's magic show. What was up with that?"

"I said I was feeling well," Ryoma replied. "Rantaro can back me up on this."

"It's true," Rantaro joined the conversation. "Ryoma wasn't feeling well yesterday, so I told him to rest up today."

Ryoma scoffed. "Well, some rest this is. Someone got murdered while I was sleeping."

"Wait, hold on," I immediately interjected. "There's something that's been bugging me for a while now." I turned to look at Rantaro, then glanced back at Ryoma. "What's going on with you two? Since when were you guys so close?"

"Ah, about that," Rantaro's eyes flickered to the side for a moment. "I was actually with Ryoma most of the time yesterday."

"Oh?" My brows shot up. "How did that came to be?"

"I had something to talk to him about, so I visited his room," Ryoma replied. "After that, we were pretty much together the whole time until Gonta came running towards us."

"When was this?" I questioned.

Ryoma took a moment to remember. "I was in my lab with Rantaro until around 7:30 pm when Gonta barged in. I managed to escape from Gonta and shut myself inside my room, although it seems like Rantaro wasn't fast enough."

Rantaro winced at the memory. "Don't remind me about it. Gonta was scary when he came chasing after us like that." He shuddered visibly at the thought. "There's no way I can outrun that guy when he's serious."

"Hm, so you guys were together most of the time, huh?" I crossed my arms. "That means Ryoma's alibi checks out pretty much until Gonta came."

"What, you're suspecting me too?" Ryoma sighed. "I was sleeping the whole time, but I guess no one can back me up on that."

"Don't get me wrong." I waved my hand back and forth to emphasize my point. "I don't mean to suspect you, but I have to look at this case from every angle of possibility, right?"

Ryoma nodded in understanding. "Yeah, no worries. I understand."

 **[Swimming Pool Rules has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

 **[Ryoma's Account has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

"Since we're already talking about alibis, we might as well ask you too," Rantaro said as he faced Tenko. "What were you guys doing last night?"

"Nyeh, we were together most of the time. The whole afternoon, Shirayuki, Tenko, Angie, and I were together in the gym," Himiko replied. "Then Tenko left around 7:00 pm for dinner, and Angie followed after her. Then, around 7:30 pm, Shirayuki left, and Angie came back."

"So, Tenko never came back to the gym after that?" Rantaro pressed further.

Tenko shook her head. "Well, I finished dinner by 7:30 pm but ran into Gonta near the entrance to the school while I was chasing after Angie. He caught me and took me to his lab. You were there when I came in, so you must've known."

"Ah, yes. I do remember that. I was carried over to the Insect Meet and Greet right before you were," Rantaro said.

"So Himiko, you were alone after that, weren't you?" Ryoma narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Nyeh? I guess so?" Himiko frowned. "Are you suspecting me now?"

"What?!" Tenko gasped and immediately took on her aikido-stance. "H-How dare you! Himiko isn't the culprit. No matter what anyone says, I'll defend her until the very end!"

Himiko's eyes slightly widened at the sight, though she didn't comment on Tenko's actions.

"Leaving that thought aside for now," Ryoma glanced towards me. "According to Himiko here, you left around 7:30 pm?"

"Well, I promised Kokichi that I'd meet up with him in the courtyard before 8:00 pm." I shrugged nonchalantly. "So I left then to go meet up with him."

"So Kokichi can back up your alibi, huh?" Ryoma shifted his beanie and gave a wry smirk. "How ironic."

 **[Himiko's Account has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

I took a quick look around the swimming pool area and nodded in satisfaction. "Well, I think that's about it. Nothing else is catching my eye around here. How about you guys? Found anything else?"

"Nothing much." Rantaro sighed. "I guess it's time we move on."

"Let's go to the dining hall to find Miu. We need to ask about that RC car," Ryoma suggested. Then, he paused and stared at the machine on the ground. "Wait, should we take this with us?"

"Isn't it kind of dangerous to touch it now?" Tenko frowned. "I don't know much about science, but if that small thing really electrocuted Gonta, I don't want to touch it," Tenko said as she grimaced.

"Uh, does anyone have a rubber glove or something?" I asked.

Ryoma scoffed. "Who the hell would carry a rubber glove around?"

I laughed sheepishly. "You're right. I think there's one underneath the sink in the pantry, though. We can get it when we stop by at the dining hall."

"Ah." Rantaro suddenly made a noise, his eyes lightening up with realization. "I just remembered something. I don't know if it's important, though." He walked over towards Ryoma. "Do you remember that conversation we heard when we walked pass Gonta's lab earlier yesterday?"

Ryoma blinked. "The conversation...? Ah, you mean the one Gonta had with someone?"

"EXCUSE ME?!" I sputtered as I felt my jaws drop to the floor. "THAT SOUNDS SUPER IMPORTANT TO ME!" I growled as I stomped closer towards Rantaro, jabbing a finger into his chest. "Why didn't you tell us that earlier?!"

Rantaro sweatdropped, taking a few steps backward. "S-Sorry, I just forgot, okay?"

Tenko snorted. "Yeah, as expected of amnesia boy here. So suspicious."

Rantaro chuckled dryly. "Uh, yeah. Forgive me. Anyway, if I recall correctly..."

 **~~O~~**

 _"So why on earth are we meeting here at my lab?"_

 _Ryoma and Rantaro casually walked alongside each other, heading up the stairs. Rantaro had taken a few minutes to gather his belongings before he met Ryoma outside in the courtyard. Ryoma waited impatiently near the bench, shifting on the sole of his feet, perhaps eager to have Rantaro return what originally was meant for his eyes only._

 _"Well, I was originally going to invite you to my room, but I decided...that..." Rantaro trailed off, his voice slightly shaking. His eyes darted up to the ceiling as sweat trickled down his face. "I thought it would be best to have you here near what you love."_

 _Ryoma only closed his eyes, shoving his hands inside the pockets of his pants. "Hmph. What I love, huh? Unfortunately, there's no such thing anymore." Behind the darkness pooling in his eyelids, he could vividly see the sinking ship, the gunshots, the sobbing, and the broken racket in his hands on that fated day._

 _His heart hurt again, so he forced himself to open his eyes. They had reached the front of his lab, and he took the opportunity to ask Rantaro straightforwardly. "Was it bad?" His words came out more scathing and scornful than he wished._

 _Rantaro jolted, glancing at Ryoma's sullen demeanor. "Well...it wasn't bad, I'd say." For the first time since he'd been trapped in the school, Rantaro felt genuinely nervous. He wasn't prepared at all. Although he acted as if he were, he didn't know what words to say to console Ryoma the moment the truth was revealed._

 _Ryoma suddenly laughed, though there was nothing boisterous about it. "So that means it wasn't good either, huh?"_

 _"Well...that's..." Rantaro trailed off. Then, he sighed, casting a strained, exhausted look Ryoma's way. "I'm really not fit for this acting thing."_

 _Ryoma snorted once. "Well, at least you know you're not the Ultimate Actor."_

 _"Definitely," Rantaro chuckled. "There's someone else who fits that title way more than I am."_

 _"Oh? And who would that be?" Ryoma questioned._

 _"Kokichi, maybe," Rantaro stated as he rubbed his chin. "That guy's a talented liar, alright."_

 _"Acting and lying isn't the same thing, though," Ryoma commented. "Anyone can lie, but not everyone can act. Unless you can turn the lies into the truth, you're nothing but a big, fat liar."_

 _Rantaro shook his head. "No, that's exactly why I'm saying he's a great actor. He's even managed to trick himself."_

 _Ryoma blinked, catching on to Rantaro's implications. "You mean...that brat is not only lying, but lying about lying?"_

 _Rantaro grimaced at Ryoma's choice of words. "When you put it that way, it sounds alarmingly confusing."_

 _Ryoma rolled his eyes. "Well, you started it, but if that's true, then I pity the poor guy." He sighed heavily, nudging his temple with his fingers. "If the liar can't even figure out the truth from their own lies, then who on earth could?"_

 _Rantaro paused for a moment before he suddenly launched into a fit of laughter. Ryoma could only stare in confusion at Rantaro's sudden outburst. "Wait, did I say something funny?"_

 _Rantaro sniffed, rubbing the tears out of the corner of his eyes. "N-No, it's nothing. You're absolutely right." His mind flickered to an image of Shirayuki, who was always stuck by Kokichi's side. "Only a fool would bother trying."_

 _His heart ached for her, but there was nothing he could do. After all, if he stopped her, he would only be contradicting himself..._

 _Since he also chose to trust her before, ignoring logic and reasoning. Really, what a hypocrite he was._

 _"H-Huh? B-But that's not gentlemanly at all! And everyone agreed not to do that!"_

 _Ryoma paused as he was about to close the door. "Who's that? Was that coming from the other end of the hallway?"_

 _Rantaro blinked. "Gonta? That was Gonta's voice."_

 _"W-Well yes! A gentleman should always return lost items to their rightful owner! Ah—"_

 _"Yeah, that's definitely him, alright. The guy's got a pretty loud voice for a personality like that," Ryoma agreed. "Is he talking to someone?"_

 _"O-Okay, I'll give it to you!"_

 _Rantaro could only frown as Gonta's words sank in. "Why does that sound like someone's exhorting him for money?"_

 _Ryoma coughed, clearing his throat. "Well, he does seem like the gullible type, but I doubt anyone would try to exhort money out of him here when their lives are at stake, to begin with."_

 _"R-Really? Gonta just need to get this? Okay, Gonta do it for everyone's sake!"_

 _Rantaro could only facepalm at the situation. "Poor guy's being tricked."_

 _"Probably Kokichi," Ryoma said as he rolled his eyes. "Should we go see them?"_

 _Rantaro shrugged. "Up to you. We can have this conversation later if you want. I'm not planning on going anywhere just yet." His words had a double meaning, showing his resolution to survive the Killing Game._

 _Ryoma smiled slightly at that show of determination. "Hmph. If you're that confident, then I guess I should be too, huh?" Ryoma shut the door to his lab behind him and dragged Rantaro off towards a bench._

 _"Show it to me."_

 **~~O~~**

"So, you wanted to talk with Rantaro about something in the Ultimate Lab and heard Gonta's voice?" I asked for clarification. "That conversation sounds sketchy to me." My eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Rantaro closed his eyes, his shoulder dropping slightly. "Yes, now that I think back in hindsight, perhaps we should've checked up on him then."

"He could have been talking to the blackened," Ryoma deduced. "Judging from the contents of the conversation, it's obvious he was being deceived into doing something."

"We'll have to keep that in mind," I muttered. "Exactly what time was it when you heard this conversation?"

"Well, we were in the lab for a long while, so it was probably around 3 in the afternoon?" Rantaro approximated.

"Hm, that's when I was about to meet Himiko in the gym to help her prepare for the show," I pondered. "It's going to be hard to determine who Gonta was talking to. No one has an alibi during the afternoon since everyone pretty much minded their own business."

"That's true," Tenko chimed in. "I was exercising in my room the entire morning."

"And I was in the toilet before I met up with you guys," Himiko held up a finger, jutting her chin up proudly. "I made it to the toilet myself."

"Uh, okay...good for you..." I trailed off, unsure of how to react to her odd piece of extra information.

 **[Overhearing Gonta was added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad]**

"Well, I guess that's about it." I turned towards the exit. "Let's go to the dining hall next. We need to talk to Miu about the RC car."

"Sure, we'll stay here and watch over Gonta!" Tenko reassured us as Himiko simply yawned in boredom.

As we shut the door behind us, Rantaro urged us to run. "We're running out of time. Let's hurry up and run to the dining hall."

Ryoma and I nodded in agreement as we all started sprinting towards the school building.

My heart was thundering as I weaved my way through the courtyard. Sweat glistened along my forehead and cheeks as we burst into the school building.

There was no time to waste. We have to find Gonta's murderer — for his sake and ours. Failure could not be accepted.

 _I'll do it...I'll definitely find the blackened. Just you wait for me!_


End file.
